This research identifies new endemic species of Mahasena and Manatha in Australia, suggesting significant biodiversity.
The predominately Asian bagworm moth genera Mahasena Moore and Manatha Moore are reported from Australia for the first time. In this country each genus is represented by a new and endemic species; Mahasena inornata Beaver sp. nov., and Manatha prolixa Beaver sp. nov., both from far northern Queensland. The taxonomic determinations made herein are based upon morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analysis. Examination of the primary type specimen of the type species of the genus Claniades Bethune-Baker syn. nov., along with the sequencing of conspecifics from New Guinea, indicates that this genus is a junior subjective synonym of Mahasena, and its single species C. ekeikei Bethune-Baker is here treated as Mahasena ekeikei comb. nov. accordingly. Various literature records of M. corbetti Tams from New Guinea and the Bismark Archipelago are considered misattributions of M. ekeikei. In addition, we treat Psyche assamica Watt as nomen dubium, and reinstate Manatha scotopepla stat. reinst. as a valid species.
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BEAVER et al. (2025) studied this question.
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