Alepia Enderlein, 1937

Ježek, Jan, Pont, François Le, Martinez, Eddy, Mollinedo, Sergio, Insad & Ibba, n Edificio, 2011, Three new species of non-biting moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) from Bolivia, with notes on higher taxa of the subfamily, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (1), pp. 183-210 : 197-198

Alepia Enderlein, 1937

Alepia Enderlein, 1937: 90 , 94–95. Type species: Alepia scripta Enderlein, 1937 , original designation.

Alepia: QUATE (1963: 192) ; DUCKHOUSE (1968: 31); DUCKHOUSE (1973: 6); DUCKHOUSE (1974a: 145); DUCKHOUSE (1974b: 55); DUCKHOUSE (1987: 231, 262–263, 266); WAGNER (1993: 114); QUATE (1996: 4); QUATE (1999: 418); BRAVO et al. (2004: 589); WAGNER & HRIBAR (2004: 506); WAGNER & SVENSON (2006: 99); BRAVO (2008: 52); WAGNER et al. (2008: 210).

Only most important references are selected above.

Differential diagnosis. The genus Alepia Enderlein, 1937 has developed necked parts of last flagellomeres ( Figs. 62 , 67 ), wings generally with infuscated patterns (mostly) in central wing area ( Fig. 77 ), strengthened parts of veins are not arranged in clearly defined transversal stripes, radial fork mostly basad of medial one, aedeagal complex ( Figs. 65 , 73, 74 ) not compact (it is differentiated to phallomeres), and overlaid basally by a large tunica (hypandrium) articulated proximally with distal protuberances of conspicuous basal apodeme, gonostyli often bifurcated and grotesquely formed ( Figs. 64 , 70, 71, 73 ), surstyli short, ovoid, pointed caudally ( Figs. 66 , 72 ), with one retinaculum subapically and numerous accessory tenacula basally ( Figs. 66 , 72 , 78 ).

It differs from the genus Tonnoiriella Vaillant, 1971 by apical minute flagellomeres with reduced necked parts, strengthened parts of veins are arranged in three wide conspicuous transversal stripes and membrane is not patchy infuscated in central area of wing, radial fork at the same level of medial one, or beyond, aedeagal complex compact (not differentiated to phallomeres), hypandrium narrow, a little widened in the middle or not, continuously fused with epandrium, gonostyli simple, rather long, gradually tapering to the top, surstyli prolonged and bent with two or more retinaculi subapically, tenacula not developed.

Discussion. The tribal assignment of Alepia remains unclear and debatable. QUATE & BROWN (2004) published a revision of the Neotropical tribe Setomimini Vaillant, 1982 (VAIL- LANT 1982a,b) including 15 genera characterized by internal expanded anterior gonocoxal apodemes. However, the monophyly of the tribe Setomimini sensu QUATE & BROWN (2004) remains uncertain. Some genera of Setomimini resemble Mormiini Enderlein, 1937 by wing basally with prolonged R 2+3, with connection of R 4 (see JEŽEK & VAN HARTEN (2005: Fig. 87)): Balbagathis Quate, 1996 , Platyplastinx Enderlein, 1937 , Arisemus Satchell, 1955 , Australopericoma Vaillant, 1975 , Micrommatos Quate & Brown, 2004 , Caenobrunettia Wagner, 1981 and Valerianna Quate & Brown, 2004 in contrast to the rest of included genera (8 taxa). The wing venation is generally a corner-stone of HENNIG’ s (1968, 1972) cladistic analysis in Diptera and tribe Setomimini sensu QUATE & BROWN (2004) is probably a polyphyletic group. The provisional comparison of the genera Alepia (a member of Setomimini sensu QUATE & BROWN (2004) , WAGNER & HRIBAR (2004) and WAGNER et al. (2008)) and Tonnoiriella Vaillant, 1971 here in our paper (for differential diagnosis see above) will be probably not in a discrepancy with the opinion of JEŽEK (1999a) to introduce Tonnoiriella as a pericomoid genus. ENDER- LEIN (1937) included the Alepia species-group in the subtribe Clytocerina Enderlein, 1937 (i.e. a pericomoid taxon) of the tribe Psychodini Enderlein, 1937 with quite different wing venation in comparison with the genus Setomima Enderlein, 1937 put by him in the subtribe Mormiina of the tribe Mormiini . VAILLANT (1971) classified Tonnoiriella at first as Pericomini Enderlein, 1935 (see a note of SABROSKY (1999: 238)) and later ( VAILLANT 1982a,b) placed Tonnoiriella with Setomima in the tribe Setomimini . DUCKHOUSE (1987) mentioned that the primitive genus Setomima is not necessarily close to Alepia genealogically, but linked only morphologically, and treated Tonnoiriella , Setomima and Vaillant’s Setomimini as a part of Maruinini Enderlein, 1937 . QUATE (1999) followed DUCKHOUSE (1987) and included Alepia in the tribe Maruinini (placed by Enderlein in the subfamily Phlebotominae ). Wagner published the species group of Palaearctic Tonnoiriella as unplaced species of Pericomini ( WAGNER 1990) , than of Setomimini ( WAGNER 1997a) , and later as ‘not yet assigned to the tribe Maruinini’ ( WAGNER & ANDERSEN 2007). Probably more new tribes will be established in future for members of Setomimini sensu QUATE & BROWN (2004) and other authors, especially on the basis of modern phylogenetic methods, including DNA characters.

Alepia Enderlein, 1937 is one of the most diverse genera of Neotropical Psychodinae , but it is so well characterized morphologically that there are no generic synonyms proposed. There are 52 known species (see below) including here described Alepia santacruz sp. nov. from Bolivia.

Figures

Figs. 59–66. Alepia santacruz sp. nov., J. 59 – head; 60 – the same, inner structures of vertex in detail; 61 – basal antennomeres; 62 – apical antennomeres; 63 – claw of P1; 64 – lateral view of gonocoxite and gonostyle; 65 – lateral view of aedeagal complex; 66 – dorsal view of epandrium and surstyli. Scale bars: 0.1 mm, except 0.3 in Figs. 59 and 65–66, 0.05 in Fig. 63.

Figs. 67–74. Alepia santacruz sp. nov., J. 67 – some ascoids (sensory filaments) of apical two antennomeres; 68 – sensory area of a middle antennomere in detail; 69 – maxilla and palpus maxillaris; 70 – dorsolateral view of gonocoxite and gonostyle; 71 – caudal view of gonocoxite and gonostyle; 72 – lateral view of epandrium and surstylus; 73 – dorsal view of aedeagal complex and gonopods; 74 – dorsolateral view of aedeagal complex. Scale bars: 0.1 mm, except 0.3 in Figs. 69–70 and 72–74.

Figs. 75–78. Alepia santacruz sp. nov., J. 75 – frontal suture and facets; 76 – lateral view of thoracic sclerites; 77 – wing; 78 – some tenacula of surstylus in detail. Scale bars: 0.05 mm, except 0.2 in Fig. 76 and 1 mm in Fig. 77.