davidklop's Journal

South Africa is home to a vast variety of insect species, a large proportion of which are endemic. I have chosen to make a list for what I consider to be the coolest genus in every order (not exactly 1:1 with "my favourite genus") based semi-objectively on traits such as uniqueness, morphology, biogeography and ecology. I will state the list first, and then have a section explaining my rationale for each choice. Note that the orders Raphidioptera, Grylloblattodea and Zoraptera are absent from South Africa.

The List

Format: Order - Genus - endemism status (E = endemic, N = not endemic) - iNat link

Hymenoptera - Rediviva - E* - link

Lepidoptera - Aeropetes - N - link

Trichoptera - Hydrosalpinx - E - link

Diptera - Moegistorhynchus - E - link

Mecoptera - Anomalobittacus - E - link

Siphonaptera - Demeillonia - N - link

Coleoptera - Colophon - E - link

Strepsiptera - Stichotrema (but see below) - N - link

Neuroptera - Sicyoptera - E - link

Megaloptera - Chloroniella - E - link

Hemiptera - Pameridea - E - link

Thysanoptera - Jacotia - N - link

Psocodea - Hybophthirus - N - link

Blattodea - Saltoblattella - E - link

Mantodea - Phyllocrania - N - link

Mantophasmatodea - Austrophasma - E - link

Phasmatodea - Bactrododema - N - link

Embioptera - Apterembia (but see below) - N - link

Orthoptera - Cedarbergeniana - E - link

Plecoptera - Desmonemoura - E - link

Dermaptera - Hemimerus - N - link

Odonata - Chlorolestes - N - link

Ephemeroptera - Nadinetella - E - link

Zygentoma - Silvestrella - E - link

Archaeognatha - Machiloides - N - link

*Rediviva is also found in Lesotho but this enclaved country cannot be considered a separate entity from a biological and geographical perspective.

Why are These the Coolest?

Rediviva (Melittidae) - Morphology: The legs of some species of these bees are extremely long, used for collecting oil from flowers. R. emdeorum's front legs are longer than the rest of its body. Ecology: Pollinates the regionally endemic genus Diascia (Scrophulariaceae). Biogeography: Genus endemic to South Africa.

Aeropetes (Nymphalidae) - Morphology: The only species (A. tulbaghia) has a beautiful brown, blue and yellow colouration on upperside of wings and unique patterns on both sides. The largest Satyrine butterfly in the region, with a wingspan up to 90 mm. Ecology: The sole pollinator of at least ten species of red-flowered plant (Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Crassulaceae), primarily in the Cape, including Disa uniflora (Orchidaceae), the provincial flower of the Western Cape and a Western Cape endemic. Biogeography: Part of a clade (Dirini) endemic to Southern Africa.

Hydrosalpinx (Hydrosalpingidae) - Morphology: The only species (H. sericea) is unmistakable for the five setal warts on its back and the enormously elongated labial and maxillary palps. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Forms a South African-endemic family. Has Gondwanan ties to Australian caddisflies. Behaviour: Larvae build a distinctive tusk-shaped case made of pure, golden silk.

Moegistorhynchus (Nemestrinidae) - Morphology: Despite its 40 mm wingspan, one of the species, M. longirostris, has a 70 mm proboscis, the longest on any known fly. Ecology: Pollinates numerous white-flowered plants (Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Geraniaceae). Proboscis specifically evolved for the purpose alongside host nectar guides. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus.

Anomalobittacus (Bittacidae) - Morphology: The only species (A. gracilipes) lacks wings, very unusual for a hangingfly. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Despite having a fair species count, Africa has a very low family (1) and genus (2) count of Mecoptera. This is Africa's only endemic Mecopteran genus.

Demeillonia (Chimaeropsyllidae) - Ecology: Known to parasitize elephant shrews (Macroscelididae), a uniquely African mammal group. Biogeography: Part of the Southern Africa-endemic flea family Chimaeropsyllidae.

Colophon (Lucanidae) - Morphology: Most species purely black, but C. primosi males have impressive colours and mandible length. Ecology: Larvae feed on Restionaceae roots. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. All species limited to cold mountaintops in the Western Cape. Some species limited to a single mountain. There are few other stag beetles in Southern Africa. Behaviour: Males don't show physical aggression to each other, an otherwise typical stag beetle trait.

Stichotrema (Myrmecolacidae) - Due to very little research, few Strepsiptera have been described from South Africa. I just chose this genus as the family has an interesting ecology where females parasitize Orthoptera and males parasitize Formicidae. The only known local species, S. robertsoni, has males that parasitize Pheidole ants but it is not known what females parasitize.

Sicyoptera (Nemopteridae) - Morphology: Hindwings have distinctive and impressive double-dilation. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Has Gondwanan ties to Australian Nemopteridae. Research: S. dilatata was not seen alive for about 175 years before being rediscovered.

Chloroniella (Corydalidae) - Morphology: Light colouration and dark stripes set the only species (C. peringueyi) apart from most other Megaloptera. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Unusual in that true dobsonflies (Corydalinae) are rare in the Southern Hemisphere. Forms its own lineage in the Corydalinae.

Pameridea (Miridae) - Ecology: Has a remarkable and unique relationship with the Cape-endemic carnivorous plant genus Roridula (Roridulaceae). Roridula uses flypaper traps to catch insects, and instead of digesting them itself, allows Pameridea to live freely on its leaves thanks to their oily bodies, and ingest the captured prey before excreting on the leaves, allowing the plant to absorb the nutrients. Each Roridula species is thought to have its own Pameridea partner species. This relationship between a plant and insect is totally unique worldwide. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus.

Jacotia (Phlaeothripidae) - Ecology: The only local species, J. elegiae, feeds on the roots of the Cape-endemic plant Elegia filacea (Restionaceae). Biogeography: Peculiar distribution, with all other species found in Australia. This distribution is also known from other thrip genera.

Hybophthirus (Hybophthiridae) - Morphology: Males have their penis emerging from their backs. Ecology: The only species (H. notophallus) parasitizes only aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) (Orycteropodidae), a species of mammal endemic to Africa. This parasite-host pair is particularly interesting as both are the only living species of their respective families. Biogeography: Family, genus and species endemic to Africa.

Saltoblattella (Ectobiidae) - Morphology: Greatly enlarged hindlegs for jumping, totally unique for any cockroach or Blattodean. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Behaviour: Only jumping cockroaches. Research: Only one species, S. montistabularis, known only from the Cape Peninsula, has been named, but numerous undescribed species have been observed around the Cape.

Phyllocrania (Hymenopodidae) - Morphology: Notable for their attractive appearance and large variance in colour. Biogeography: Genus endemic to Africa.

Austrophasma (Mantophasmatidae) - Morphology: Bright green colour adds some points to coolness. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Known only from the Hottentots Holland Mountains, my favourite place on Earth. Entire order endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa and the only insect order limited to one continent. Research: The order, family and many of the species where only described in 2002. This applies to the entire order obviously, but I chose this genus on account of personal preferences in appearance and range.

Bactrododema (Diapheromeridae) - Morphology: Extremely long, with species like B. krugeri up to 300 mm in length, this genus includes some of the longest insects worldwide. Biogeography: Genus endemic to Africa.

Apterembia (Embiidae) - Almost no research has been done on South African webspinners. A few genera have been identified, but this is the only one tied to a name, so it wins by default I guess.

Cedarbergeniana (Tettigoniidae) - Morphology: Very large, females of the only species (C. imperfecta) exceeding 100 mm in total length. Attractive striped appearance. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. Only known from the Cederberg Mountains. Behaviour: Possibly the only katydid worldwide that lives only in caves.

Desmonemoura (Notonemouridae) - Morphology: Set apart from other local stoneflies by their attractive, striped wings. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. The family as a whole is Gondwanan and endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, found in Southern South America, Southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia and New Zealand.

Hemimerus (Hemimeridae) - Morphology: Family as a whole has unusual earwig morphology, with reduced eyes and cerci. Ecology: Unusual among earwigs for living in the fur of the giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) (Nesomyidae). Not parasitic in nature, feeding off of fungi and detritus on the rats' skin. Biogeography: Family and genus endemic to Africa.

Chlorolestes (Synlestidae) - Morphology: The family as a whole stands out from other damselflies due to a combination of large size, spread-out wings and iridescent colouring. I chose this genus because of the attractive bands that can be found on some males' wings, very unusually for damselflies. Biogeography: Genus endemic to Southern Africa.

Nadinetella (Teloganodidae) - Ecology: Nymphs known to live on the Cape-endemic aquatic moss Wardia hygrometrica (family uncertain). Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus. The family is distributed in the Cape, Madagascar and Southern Asia, indicating Gondwanan origin.

Silvestrella (Lepismatidae) - Ecology: One of the species, S. termitophila, is known to live in the nests of the termite Microhodotermes viator (Hodotermitidae), an important species for the Cape. Biogeography: Cape-endemic genus.

Machiloides (Meinertellidae) - Morphology: An undescribed species, apparently belonging to this genus and endemic to the Cape Peninsula, has extremely long antennae. Behaviour: The same undescribed species lives only in caves.

The Cape Floristic Region exhibits many correlations with the former Gondwanan landmasses. It was long thought that this was because of vicariance; the groups spread across the continents when they were connected. However, molecular clocks have indicated that the majority of dispersals occurred after the continents split, indicating overseas dispersal. The continents would have still been closer together at the time, so spreading would be easier than today. Note that all Gondwanan angiosperm groups are probably overseas dispersers, as most of angiosperm evolution only occurred after Gondwana split.

There are three main Gondwanan realms: South America, Africa and Australasia (including their offshore islands). Antarctica was also a member, but today it is so sterilized that little evidence of its Gondwanan affinities remain among the extant species. The Indian Subcontinent was also once connected to Madagascar and Africa, but a combination of volcanic activity in the Cretaceous and its collision with Asia has wiped out most of its Gondwanan groups, though several interesting ones remain. The main Gondwanan sub-realms (those with distinct biota) are Southern South America, Southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

South America and Australasia have a closer relationship than with Africa. Numerous Gondwanan groups (e.g. Araucariaceae, Nothofagaceae, Gripopterygidae) are found in South America and Australasia but not Africa. This is sometimes explained by Africa being the furthest north and these groups becoming extinct here due to the warmer climate. But considering all three groups I mentioned back there actually occur well into the tropics, this explanation is not very satisfactory. The Cape seems to have a much stronger relationship with Australasia than to South America.

I will list all of the groups in the Cape with Gondwanan relationships I know of. Groups can be monophyletic (a Gondwanan clade) or paraphyletic (the group's basal branches are Gondwanan, with the apical branches spreading north, indicating the group was fully Gondwanan in the past).

Pan-Gondwanan Relationships

These groups have widespread relationships among the Gondwanan realms. Some pan-Gondwanan groups (like Restionaceae and Proteaceae) are included in other sections, due to the relationship being much stronger between the Cape and one other realm than to the others.

Afrotheria (Mammalia: Placentalia) - A very morphologically diverse group of mammals that originated in Africa during the Cretaceous. The basal mammal clades (those excluding Boreotheria) are all associated with the southern continents: Monotremata (Australasia), Marsupialia (Australasia and South America), Xenarthra (South America), Afrotheria (Africa). This indicates the mammals may have initially diversified in Gondwana during the Mesozoic. Afrotheria has since spread across the world by land and sea, but the vast majority of species are in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Palaeognathae (Reptilia: Aves) - Ground birds distributed in South America, Africa, Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and until recently, Madagascar. The nature of their dispersal is controversial, but molecular clock indicates it is of a Cenozoic overseas nature.

Pleurodira (Reptilia: Testudines) - Freshwater turtles found in South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia, New Guinea, and slightly into Southeast Asia. Molecular clocks indicate that the group originated in the Jurassic, and a mix of land and sea dispersal is plausible.

Galaxiidae (Actinopterygii: Teleostei) - Primarily freshwater fish found in Southern South America, the South African Cape, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Molecular clock indicates a Cenozoic overseas dispersal. Given that some species spend their youth at sea (none in the Cape), this is a very plausible explanation.

Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) - The most basal family of Lepidoptera, these unusual mandibulate moths are found around the world but are split into two perfectly hemisphere-segregated clades. The Southern Hemisphere clade includes species from South America, South Africa, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Fossils indicate the group originated shortly after the origin on the Lepidoptera around the beginning of the Jurassic.

Barbarochthonidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) - Family of caddisflies endemic to pristine streams in the South African Cape. They are sister to the Helicophidae of Southern South America and Australasia. With a split dated to the Late Cretaceous, the relationship may just possibly be vicariant.

Sericostomatidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) - Caddisflies found across most of the world apart from Australasia. Their phylogenetic position indicates an African origin in the Cretaceous. The basal-most genera are found in the Cape or Madagascar, with the next most basal genera being South American, indicating an initial Gondwanan spread west. From there, the genera spread to North America and much of the world, but stopped at Australasia, possibly due to competition from pre-established endemic Sericostomatoid families.

Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) - Very common midges found worldwide with aquatic or semi-aquatic larvae. The subfamily Aphroteniinae is limited to Southern South America, the South African Cape and Australia (the Cape's only genus, Aphrotenia, is also present in Australia). The Cape-endemic genus Elpiscladius, from the Orthocladiinae, may have affinities with the South American/Australian genus Austrobrillia.

Belidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) - Weevils distributed in South America, southern North America, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Fossil records show a larger presence in the Northern Hemisphere in the past, but the family seems of Gondwanan origin. The origin of the group is thought to be around the end of the Jurassic, indicating land dispersal initially. The South African genera are sister to a Southeast Asian genus, which at first glance indicates possible vicariance via India, but the split of the two groups appears possibly too late, in the Late Cretaceous.

Stolotermitidae (Insecta: Blattodea) - Basal family of termites found in Southern South America, the South African Cape, Australia and New Zealand. The genus Stolotermes is limited to the Cape, Australia and New Zealand.

Anostostomatidae (Insecta: Orthoptera) - Well-known family of Ensifera that is found across much of the world, but with a diversity greatly skewed to the southern continents.

Notonemouridae (Insecta: Plecoptera) - Stoneflies found in pristine, cool streams and important indicators for Southern Hemisphere rivers. Found in Southern South America, Southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia and New Zealand. Phylogeny and fossils indicate a traditional, vicariant dispersal in the Jurassic period. This is probably the most widespread family of insects (or any other group) endemic to the Southern Hemisphere.

Archaeidae (Arachnida: Araneae) - Odd family of spiders found in South Africa, Madagascar and Australia. Fossils indicate a former Laurasian presence but they may still have originated in the Southern Hemisphere.

Peripatopsidae (Panarthropoda: Onychophora) - Velvet worms found in Southern South America, the South African Cape, Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. Molecular clock indicates this group dispersed by vicariance. The Australasian genera split off in the Triassic period and the South American and African genera split in the Jurassic.

Strelitziaceae (Monocots: Zingiberales) - Herbaceous trees found in South America, Southern Africa and Madagascar. Mostly a tropical group, about one species extends into the forested eastern margins of the Cape Floristic Region.

Cupressaceae (Pinopsida: Cupressales) - Ancient group of conifers found across the world. The subfamily Actinostroboideae is distributed in Southern South America, Southern Africa, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Molecular clock indicates most of the dispersal took place in the Cretaceous, which would indicate a mix of overland and short-distance overseas dispersal.

Podocarpaceae (Pinopsida: Araucariales) - Broad-leaved conifers found across much of the world, but very skewed towards the southern continents. They are found in the American Tropics, Africa, Madagascar, Tropical Asia, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Molecular clock indicates a Cenozoic overseas dispersal.

South American Relationships

These groups have specific relationships between the Cape and South America. I have found there to be not as many as one might expect.

Pipidae (Amphibia: Anura) - Frogs found in South America and Africa. Phylogenies indicate an origin in the Cretaceous, making vicariant dispersal possible or likely.

Blephariceridae (Insecta: Diptera) - Aquatic flies associated with clean, fast-flowing water distributed worldwide. The genus Elporia has a bizarre distribution of South America and Southern Africa. It is not known how recent this dispersal was.

Paraphrynoveliidae - (Insecta: Hemiptera) - Facultatively semi-aquatic bugs limited to the mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg. They are sister to the New World family Macroveliidae (which they have been proposed to be merged with by one author). The basal-most member of Macroveliidae is found in Southern South America, indicating a Gondwanan base to the broader group.

Thurniaceae (Monocots: Poales) - Aquatic reedy plants distributed in South America and parts of South Africa (Cape and Pondoland only).

Bruniaceae (Eudicots: Bruniales) - Family of ericoid plants endemic to the fynbos-type vegetation of South Africa. They are sister to the Columelliaceae of South America, and the two families form the Gondwanan order Bruniales.

Australasian Relationships

These groups have specific relationships between the Cape and Australasia (Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand). The relationship between the Cape and Australia is particularly close, possibly due to their similar climates. Both regions have their own small floral kingdoms.

Pisuliidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) - Caddisflies native to Africa and Madagascar. They are sister to the Australasian-endemic families Plectrostarsidae + Oeconescidae. The outgroup to these three is the Kokiriidae, found in Australasia and South America. Molecular clock indicates a mid-Cretaceous split, just possibly vicariant.

Hydrosalpingidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) - Caddisflies endemic to pristine streams in the South African Cape. They are sister to the Australian-endemic family Heloccabusidae. The split was likely Cenozoic, indicating an overseas dispersal. The outgroups are also Australasian, indicating a Australasia-to-Africa spread.

Nemopteridae (Insecta: Neuroptera) - Lacewings known for their impressively-modified hindwings. Despite being quite widespread, over half of all species are endemic to Southern Africa. The Australian-endemic genus Chasmoptera is sister to a group containing the Southern African genera Nemeura, Semirhynchia and Sicyoptera. The split, dated to the mid-Cretaceous, may possibly be vicariant.

Sialidae (Insecta: Megaloptera) - Known as alderflies, these insects have aquatic larvae. The South African-endemic genus Leptosialis is sister to the Australian-endemic genus Stenosialis. More broadly, the basal branches of the Sialidae are all Gondwanan, distributed in Australasia, South Africa, Madagascar, India and South America with only the apical branches being in the northern continents.

Cicadellidae (Insecta: Hemiptera) - Small plant bugs found worldwide. The peculiar tribe Cephalelini is limited to the South African Cape, Australia and New Zealand and is exclusively associated with Restionaceae plants. Molecular clocks indicate a Australasia-to-Africa, Cenozoic overseas dispersal. Their absence from South America may be due to how recently the Restionaceae arrived on that continent.

Phlaeothripidae (Insecta: Thysanoptera) - Family of thrips found worldwide. The genus Jacotia is oddly limited to just the South African Cape and Australia.

Libelluloidea (Insecta: Odonata) - Numerous genera in this superfamily of dragonflies remain unplaced to family. The South African-endemic genus Syncordulia may have affinities to some Australian genera, but research on the topic has been very slow.

Restionaceae (Monocots: Poales) - Distinctive, reedy plants distributed in Southern South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australasia and even Southeast Asia (just one species; the family's only presence in the Northern Hemisphere). However, diversity is enormously skewed to the South African Cape and Australia. The family dominates the landscape in parts of the two places, while they are only a minor component everywhere else. In fact, all Restionaceae genera are found either in the Cape or Australia, but some may be found in other regions in addition to one of those two locations. Their presence in South America is very recent, as indicated by South America sharing both its genera with Australasia. Phylogenetics indicates a Cenozoic overseas dispersal in an Australasia-to-Africa direction.

Lanariaceae (Monocots: Asparagales) - Family endemic to Cape fynbos. Phylogenetics show it is descended from the group that includes the Australian endemic families Blandfordiaceae and Boryaceae. The apex of this group includes spreads to South America/Australasia (Asteliaceae) and worldwide (Hypoxidaceae).

Hypoxidaceae (Monocots: Asparagales) - Small to medium-sized herbs distributed worldwide, but probably of Gondwanan origin. The genus Pauridia is found only in Southern Africa and Australia. The dispersal was surely overseas Cenozoic.

Proteaceae (Eudicots: Proteales) - Morphologically diverse trees or shrubs, generally with distinctive inflorescences. Distributed in South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australasia and Tropical Asia but diversity is by far the greatest in the South African Cape and Australia. Other regions do have their own genera, however. The family dominates some landscapes in the Cape and Australia, but is much rarer elsewhere. Fossils and molecular clocks indicate the group originated in Australasia and spread to Africa several times overseas during the Cenozoic.

Cunoniaceae (Eudicots: Oxalidales) - Primarily Southern Hemisphere family found in South and Central America, the Caribbean, Southern Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarenes, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The Southern African genera are either sister or even shared with those in Australia and New Caledonia. Although this is one of the oldest angiosperm families, dating back to the Cretaceous, molecular clocks indicate the modern distribution of this family is mainly explained by Cenozoic overseas dispersal.

Zygophyllaceae (Eudicots: Zygophyllales) - Shrubs distributed around the world. The genus Roepera is limited to Southern Africa and Australia. The dispersal is likely to be recent.

Geissolomataceae (Eudicots: Crossosomatales) - Family endemic to Cape fynbos. Found on a three-family branch of its order limited to the Southern Hemisphere. Its sister is the Strasburgeriaceae of New Zealand and New Caledonia. The outgroup, Aphloiaceae, is from the East Africa/Madagascar region, indicating this is an unusual case of Africa-to-Australasia dispersal.

Aizoaceae (Eudicots: Caryophyllales) - Small, usually succulent plants with staminodes replacing petals, distributed around the world, but most diverse in Southern Africa by a vast margin. The genus Carpobrotus is possibly limited South Africa and Australia. Records from South America appear to be non-native. Molecular clocks show this family rapidly diversified during the Cenozoic, so the overseas dispersal of this genus is likely very recent.

Zamiaceae (Cycadopsida: Cycadales) - Cycads only barely qualify as a Cape group, just making it into the eastern edge of the Cape Floristic Region. The only genus in the Cape, Encephalartos, mostly found in tropical Africa, is nested in a group of otherwise Australian genera. The dispersal from Australasia to Africa probably occurred around the end of the Cretaceous, and therefore was probably overseas.

Malagasy/Indian Relationships

These groups have specific relationships between the Cape, Madagascar and/or the Indian Subcontinent. The Cape shares quite a few species with Madagascar, but most of these are very recent dispersals that don't really qualify as Gondwanan. Ancient and probably ancient groups are included. Despite having a reduced Gondwanan biota, India does share numerous groups with Madagascar, reflecting their connection as a single island until the Cretaceous.

Petrothrincidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) - Yes, I do read a lot about caddisflies. This family is associated with pristine streams in the South African Cape and Madagascar. The measured mid-Cretaceous split may just possibly mean a vicariant dispersal. A related family, Ceylanopsychidae, is endemic to Sri Lanka but has not been included in any phylogenies. Similar designs in the case between these two families may indicate that they are related.

Hydraenidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) - Tiny aquatic or semi-aquatic beetles found worldwide, but much more diverse in the Southern Hemisphere. Two of the four subfamilies are endemic to the southern continents: Prosthetopinae in the Sub-Saharan Africa/Madagascar region and Orchymontiinae in New Zealand. The Malagasy Prosthetopine genus Sicilicula split from the African ones in the early Cenozoic, indicating overseas dispersal. Other Malagasy Hydraenidae bare closer affinities to India, including shared genera.

Blaberidae (Insecta: Blattodea) - Diverse cockroaches found around the world. The genus Aptera has a peculiar distribution of only South Africa and India. This may be a case of vicariance, with some molecular clocks placing the origin of Blaberidae before the Gondwanan breakup.

Teloganodidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) - Mayflies with nymphs that are found only in pristine streams in the South African Cape, Madagascar and Southern Asia. It is thought the group existed in the Africa/Madagascar/India region before they separated. After India's collision with Asia, some spread to Southeast Asia.

Heptageniidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) - Mayflies found around the world. The genus Afronurus is found in Africa, Madagascar and Southern Asia, possibly indicating a Gondwanan distribution.