Paraskusella gen. nov., a new Afro-Australian genus in the tribe Chironomini (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Abstract

One described species of Chironomidae, the African Paratendipes seydeli Freeman, 1957, and two newly described species from Australia are allocated to a new genus, Paraskusella gen. nov. Described from all life stages, Paraskusella donedwardi sp. nov. is restricted to south‐west Western Australia. Paraskusella bobhawkei sp. nov. is described from adult males and a female from northern Australia. Its possible immature stages are described as Paraskusella ‘K2’, a taxon with a wider northern to central and temperate distribution. The immature stages allow inference of proximity to the Afro‐Oriental‐Australian Skusella Freeman, 1961.