Systematics, cladistics and biogeography of the American genus Farrodes (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae)

Cladistic and biogeographic analyses of the genus Farrodes are presented. Two species groups are delineated within Farrodes: F. caribbianus and F. bimaculatus. Three species formerly placed in other genera– Thraulus caribbianus Traver, Thraulus roundsi Traver and Homothraulus maculatus (Needham & Murphy)–are transferred to Farrodes. The species of the F. caribbianus species group are revised. Three new species are described: F. savagei from Venezuela, F. maya and F. mexicanus from Mexico. Keys to separate the two species groups of Farrodes and the species of the F caribbianus species group are provided. Successive cladistic analyses were carried out on both adult and nymphal characters using Hennig86 and CLADOS. The matrix was composed of all available data (nymphal characters were missing for some species), from nymphal and adult stages separately and on taxa represented by both adult and nymphal characters. Species of the genera Simothraulopsis and Homothraulus (components of the Farrodes lineage) were included in the analyses, and Ecuaphkbia was used as the outgroup. Results of the four analyses are compatible. The historical biogeography of Farrodes , with a distribution from nordiern Argentina to southern Texas, is analysed using the program COMPONENT. Areas of endemism are established, and some of their relationships compared with those of other groups available in the literature.