Adding WMS group layer (only) to ArcMap?

Question

I am trying to add a WMS group layer to ArcMap, without having the sublayers being listed in the TOC.
I will give a little background here: We are sourcing images from Nearmap.com, and their WMS data is served as follows:

NearMap
|
Australia

• Adelaide
• -----2009年10月19日
• -----2009年10月29日
• Perth
• -----2010年10月12日

As per Nearmap, the group layer link (Adelaide or Perth shown above) always points to the most recent image avaible, while the sub-layers present date specific images (one of them would of course be the latest one).
If this is true, it releives us from updating and re-publishing our maps every time a new image is available from Nearmap (which happens at least once a month).
When I try to add the group layer in Arcmap, it adds all the sub-layers along with it, and I have to choose a specific date image to publish in our web maps.

Does anyone here has experienced the same behaviour in other GIS software, open-source or otherwise?

I was informed by the Nearmap guys that "other" open source software have the "ability" to add group layer directly...any takers for that?

Answer 1

This has been identified by ESRI as an incorrect implementation the OGC WMS specification.

An enhancement request has been raised to have this fixed in the newer versions, however, the timelines are not known.

NIM062279 Please consider implementing group layers for WMS

Cheers!
Ujjwal