Preliminary taxonomy and biogeography of the subfamily Buddelundiinae Vandel (Armadillidae) in Western Australia

The subfamily Buddelundiinae Vandel comprises the genera Buddelundia and Barrowdillo. These are known predominantly from Western Australia and there has been little taxonomic work on the group. There are over 20 species described but very few can be readily identified and the distributions of most are unknown. We examined terrestrial isopods from a large number of surveys to determine the diversity and distribution of Buddelundiinae within Western Australia. Results reveal that the terrestrial isopod fauna of the drier parts of Western Australia is dominated by Buddelundia. We estimate that Buddelundia inhabits all terrestrial habitats and probably has more than 50 species. A range of morphological characters are illustrated and appropriate taxonomic groupings suggested. We present evidence to question whether Buddelundia or Barrowdillo are monophyletic and highlight the importance of further taxonomic and biogeographic work.