Description ofPotophila verrucosa, gen. n. et sp. n. (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) from the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Gunnar M Kvifte

doi:10.5733/afin.055.0203

Abstract

Potophila verrucosa gen. n. et sp. n. is described based on a male from the West Usambara mountains, Tanzania. The genus and species are characterised by an elongate first flagellomere with the node more than three times as long as the internode, an asymmetrical aedeagus and two parameres carrying rugose morphoventral appendages. Potophila verrucosa cannot be placed in a systematic context with certainty, but several characters are consistent with a relationship to the tribe Psychodini.

Highlights

The Psychodid fauna of Africa is still poorly known
Very little is known of the Psychodidae from this ecoregion; a total of 18 species are known from the Ulunguru area near Morogoro and from the West Usambara mountains (Duckhouse 1987; Wagner & Andersen 2007)
The head characters of Potophila lack any unambiguous phylogenetic signals. 6\PPHWULFDO QRGLIRUP ÀDJHOORPHUHV DUH NQRZQ IURP 3V\FKRGLQL 3DUDPRUPLLQL Brunettiina and Maruinini, while an eyebridge of three rows is present in Brunnettiina, Mormiina, some Philosepedon Eaton (Psychodini) and some Maruinini/Setomimini. 7KHVSLQLIRUPVHQVLOODHRQVRPHRIWKHÀDJHOORPHUHVKDYHKLWKHUWRRQO\EHHQUHFRUGHG from Psychodini (Faucheux & Gibernau 2010); this character has not been VXI¿FLHQWO\H[SORUHGZLWKLQ3V\FKRGLQDH(ORQJDWLRQRIÀDJHOORPHUHVRFFXUVLQVHYHUDO clades, including the genus Satoba-HåHN3DUDPRUPLLQLAbcharis 7NRþ -HåHNWULEDO placement uncertain) and to some degree Threticus Eaton (Psychodini)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The Psychodid fauna of Africa is still poorly known. In the catalogue by Kvifte (2012), 174 described species in 27 genera are listed; large parts of the continent remain ODUJHO\XQVDPSOHGIRUPRWKÀLHV(YHQVPDOOFROOHFWLRQVIUHTXHQWO\\LHOGXQGHVFULEHG species, and often genera not previously recorded from Africa The Eastern Arc mountain chain in Tanzania and Kenya forms one of the most important global hotspots of biodiversity conservation due to its high levels of endemicity (Burgess et al 2007). Very little is known of the Psychodidae from this ecoregion; a total of 18 species are known from the Ulunguru area near Morogoro and from the West Usambara mountains (Duckhouse 1987; Wagner & Andersen 2007). One further species is described based on a specimen collected in the West Usambara PRXQWDLQV7DQ]DQLD:LWKWKHSUHVHQWSDSHUWKH$IULFDQPRWKÀ\IDXQDQRZVWDQGVDW 176 species in 29 genera

MATERIAL AND METHODS

DISCUSSION