We provide the first record of the genus Lepidiella Enderlein, 1937 from the Oriental Region with the description of Lepidiella limicornis sp. nov., based on two male specimens collected in Thailand. Additionally, we provide a list of the world species of Lepidiella and discuss the diagnosis and taxonomic placement of the genus.

Moth flies, new record, new species, Psychodinae, taxonomy

The moth fly fauna of the Oriental Region is highly diverse and understudied, with the family Psychodidae including more than 420 described species (Lewis 1987; Ježek 2010; Curler and Priyadarsanan 2015; Ježek et al. 2015; Kvifte and Andersen 2016; Polseela et al. 2019). Regardless of the recent attention this family has received due to the medical importance of the subfamily Phlebotominae, there is still a large number of species that remain undescribed (Duckhouse and Duckhouse 2000; Curler 2009; Ježek 2010).

The genus Lepidiella Enderlein, 1937, formerly known as Syntomoza Enderlein, 1937 (see Quate, 1963; Collantes and Hodkinson 2003) has been thought to be restricted to the Neotropical Region. This genus has been recorded in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and the island of Santa Lucia in the Caribbean (Ibáñez-Bernal 2008; Bravo and Santos 2011; Araújo and Bravo 2013, 2019).

Here, we describe a new species of the genus Lepidiella and discuss its generic placement. Additionally, we record Lepidiella for the first time outside the Neotropical Region, and we update the generic diagnosis of this genus.

The studied specimens are deposited at the Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, Bergen, Norway (ZMBN). Specimens were collected with a hand net, stored in ethanol, and then mounted on permanent slides. In the material examined section, at the end of each record and between square brackets ([]), the holding institution is indicated. In the description of type labels, the contents of each label are enclosed in double quotation marks (“ ”), italics denote handwriting, and the individual lines of data are separated by a double forward-slash (//).

Measurements were made with an ocular micrometer in a microscope Leitz model Dialux 20, measures in millimeters (mm). Head width was taken at the widest part, approximately above the insertion of antennal scape, whereas the length was taken from the vertex to the lower margin of clypeus; wing length measured from the base of the wing at the start of the costal node to the apex of the wingtip, while the width was taken approximately at an imaginary vertical line crossing the radial and medial forks; palpal proportions consider the length of the first palpal segment as a unit (1.0).

Quate (1996) recognized three diagnostic characters for the genus (as Syntomoza): corniculi present in males; males and females with vertex expanded dorsally; males and females with the apex of vein R₄ ending at the wing apex. Bravo (2005) later described a new species and transferred Pericoma hansoni (now Lepidiella hansoni) without corniculi. Bravo and Santos (2011) updated the diagnosis of the genus. Finally, Araújo and Bravo (2019) described a new species without the presence of corniculi and recognized six characters for the identification of males and females, specifically: vertex dorsally expanded; antenna with 14 barrel-shaped flagellomeres; flagellomeres 12–14 smaller, without ascoids; R4 ending at the wing apex; males with multiple tenacula on hypopods (as cercus); gonocoxal apodemes fused, forming a narrow and plate-like bridge, not extending anteriorly.

Of these six characters only five fit with the species described here: gonocoxal apodemes are not fused and are extended anteriorly. The diagnosis presented above reflects this.

Corniculi are present in many genera, including Clytocerus Eaton, 1904, Jungiella Vaillant, 1972, Panimerus Eaton, 1913, Pangeogladiella Ježek, 2001, Mystropsychoda Duckhouse, 1975, and Neoarisemus Botoseneanu & Vaillant, 1970. However, this species can be easily separated from Mystropsychoda by the presence of an eye bridge (absent in Mystropsychoda); from Neoarisemus, Panimerus, and Jungiella by barrel-shaped flagellomeres and wing venation with R₄ ending at the apex of the wing and R₅ endsing beyond apex (flagellomeres fusiform and R₄ before and R₅ at the apex in Neoarisemus, Panimerus, and Jungiella). Finally, Lepidiella can be differentiated from Clytocerus by the absence of fusion of flagellomeres 1 and 2 (fused in Clytocerus), the absence of tuft of curved setae on basal flagellomeres (present in Clytocerus), and the setae alveoli of the frons being in a large continuous patch (Clytocerus having two separate patches).

The characters separating Lepidiella from Clytocerus are unique characters for Clytocerus and probably represent apomorphies. It may, therefore, be that Lepidiella represents either a plesiomorphic sister group to Clytocerus or even is the paraphyletic ancestoral taxon to it. As Clytocerus generally have fused gonocoxal apodemes, while Lepidiella as shown here is polymorphic for this character, we deem it more likely that Lepidiella is paraphyletic to Clytocerus. However, we refrain from synonymizing the two until more unambiguous characters, including molecular ones, are available.

We are grateful to Jostein Kjærandsen for collecting the type specimen of the new species and to Trond Andersen for making it available for us to study. Per Djursvoll and Steffen Roth kindly facilitated us working together for a month at the University Museum of Bergen. SJS extends his gratitude to Morgane A. Kerdoncuf for opening her flat to him during his stay in Bergen.