The genus Pnyxiopalpus gen.n. (Diptera: Sciaridae)

Abstract

Summary Pnyxiopalpus gen.n. (type‐species P. raptor sp.n.), Oriental in distribution, includes the following species: P. acanthipes sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. aculeatus sp.n. (Borneo), P. adebratti sp.n. (Borneo), P. aphrodite sp.n. (Sumatra), P. dentaneus sp.n. (Sulawesi), P. fossor sp.n. (Borneo), P. fuscinellus sp.n. (Borneo), P. hamatus sp.n. (Borneo), P. latifalx sp.n. (Borneo), P. macrocellus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. microdon sp.n. (Sumatra), P. nepenthophilus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. noona sp.n. (Palawan), P. raptor sp.n. (Borneo), P. reticulatus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula) and P. simplex sp.n. (Borneo). Males and females are keyed and described. Pnyxiopalpus has a number of characters previously unknown in Sciaridae. In contrast to other Sciaridae, interspecific morphological variation is greater for the females compared to the males. Based on a parsimony analysis of sixty‐four morphological characters, Pnyxiopalpus is monophyletic, and its sister group appears to be Spathobdella Frey + {[Peyerimhoffia Kieffer + (Faratsiho Paulian + Pnyxia Johannsen)] + [Hyperlasion Schmitz + (Hermapterosciara Mohrig & Mamaev + Parapnyxia Mohrig & Mamaev)]}. According to the most parsimonious solution, the monophyly of Hyperlasion, Lycoriella Frey and Plastosciara Berg in their current sense is questioned. Aptery and one‐segmented maxillary palp, usually regarded as important in sciarid classification, show a lot of homoplasy.