Scatopsciara Edwards, 1927 s

Mohrig, Werner & Kauschke, Ellen, 2016, New Black Fungus Gnats (Diptera, Sciaridae) of North America Part I. Genus Scatopsciara Edwards, 1927, Zootaxa 4150 (4), pp. 401-435 : 402

Genus Scatopsciara Edwards, 1927 s . str.

Type species: Sciara quinquelineata Macquart, 1834: 149 (= Sciara vitripennis Meigen, 1818 ).

Literature: Tonnoir & Edwards (1927): 798 (as subgenus of Sciara Meigen ); Frey (1948): 69–70; Tuomikoski (1960): 150–156; Menzel & Mohrig (2000): 480–508; Mohrig et al. (2013): 233–241.

Diagnosis. The genus is characterized by short palpus with or without sensory pit. Basal segment of palpus has two or more bristles (in small species sometimes one bristle only). Wings are mostly short and wide with a very short R1 (rarely seen in other genera like small species of Bradysia ) and bare posterior veins. Scutum has short bristles. Scutellum has two longer marginal bristles. Tip of fore tibiae possesses a small comb of specialized bristles (tibial organ) like in Bradysia , but in most species it is much smaller and sometimes on a process like small lobe. Middle and hind tibiae possess distinct unequal spurs. One of two spurs is strongly reduced or absent in many species of Scatopsciara s. str.. In species of the subgenus Xenopygina Frey (1948) length of tibial spurs on middle and hind tibiae differs less which may sometimes lead to a misidentification of species belonging to other genera (especially species of Bradysia or Corynoptera ). Claws are toothless. Gonostylus has an apical tooth (subgenus Scatopsciara Edwards ) or apical/subapical spines only (subgenus Xenopygina Frey ).