Molecular phylogeny of tiny land snails from the family Punctidae (Stylommatopohora, Punctoidea) in Australia

The Punctidae is a group of small to minute land snails with their centre of diversity in Australia and New Zealand. We present a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Australian punctids based on mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (ELAVI8, ITS2) markers, including 27 of the 32 mainland and Tasmanian species, as well as representative samples from Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island and New Zealand. Measurements of shell dimensions of all sequenced specimens were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum test to assess morphological support for branching patterns. The Australian punctids comprise a large unresolved radiation made up mostly of mainland species that diverged around 5.5 Ma, with more basal groups comprising taxa from Tasmania, New Zealand, Macquarie Island, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. To better reflect the pattern of rapid diversification of punctids on the Australian mainland, and supported by morphological data, we treat the genera Gratilaoma, Iotula, Laomavix, Miselaoma, Pseudiotula, Tescilaoma, Trocholaoma and Westralaoma as junior synonyms of Paralaoma. We demonstrate that Pasmaditta jungermanniae, Pedicamista sp. ‘Bull Hill’ and Trocholaoma spiceri are part of Cystopeltidae rather than Punctidae, and that the Norfolk Island charopids Norfolcioconcha, Penescosta, Cryptocharopa and Frustropa belong to Punctidae. Based on molecular data and examination of types, we treat Paralaoma annabelli as a junior synonym of Paralaoma mucoides, Westralaoma experta as a junior synonym of Paralaoma morti, and Westralaoma expicta as a junior synonym of Paralaoma servilis.