Stupkaiella Vaillant 1973

Curler, Gregory R. & Moulton, John K., 2010, Contributions to Nearctic Stupkaiella Vaillant (Diptera: Psychodidae), Zootaxa 2397, pp. 48-60 : 49-50

Stupkaiella Vaillant 1973

Stupkaiella Vaillant, 1973: 367 (original description) type species: Stupkaiella furcata Vaillant (original designation). Stupkaiella Vaillant, Wagner 1984: 239 (as genus, description of S. mastelleri ).

Thornburghiella (Stupkaiella) (Vaillant) , Duckhouse 1987: 87 (as subgenus).

Stupkaiella Vaillant, Jezek 2001: 64 (as genus, comparison of Pericomini in part). Stupkaiella furcata Vaillant, 1973: 367 (type species by original designation).

Diagnosis. Larva: Postmentum dentate; teeth uniform, conical, arranged in single transverse row. Tergite structure and dorsal chaetotaxy, abdominal segment IV: protergite with paired, simple protuberances medially; medial protuberances flanked by second pair of simple protuberances; each protuberance with setiform macrotrichium inserted apically; mesotergite with paired, bifurcate protuberances medially; medial protuberances flanked by pair of simple protuberances; each bifurcate protuberance with two setiform macrotrichia inserted apically, each simple protuberance with setiform macrotrichium inserted apically; metatergite with paired, simple protuberances medially; medial protuberances flanked by pair of trifurcate protuberances; each simple protuberance with setiform macrotrichium inserted apically, each trifurcate protuberance with three setiform macrotrichia inserted apically. Pupa: Unknown. Adult: Male eye-bridge with 4–6 facet rows, separated by width of 1–3 (Oriental spp.), 3–4 (eastern Nearctic spp.) or 4–8.5 (western Nearctic spp.) facet diameters. Interocular suture conspicuous, shaped as inverted Y, V, or U. Row of postocular bristles incomplete medially, with 3–6 bristles on each side of head. Antenna 16-segmented; flagellomere I elongate, at least two times longer than broad with 3–7 rigid spines inserted dorsally or dorsolaterally; flagellomeres II–XIII fusiform, flagellomere XIV fusiform or rounded, with digitiform process apically. Ascoids paired, digitiform, approximately half the length of median flagellomeres, inserted dorsomedially and ventrolaterally on anterior half of flagellomeres; number and position of flagellomeres bearing ascoids variable among species. Mouthparts reduced; labellum bulbous, as wide or wider than clypeus, without blunt apical teeth. Prothorax of some species with capitate patagia inserted posterior to vertex, adjacent to prothoracic spiracles. Wing ovate, without Sc vein ending in R1, with base of M2 weakened, prolonged basally. Male terminalia: gonocoxites about as long as wide, rotundate laterally, with margins straight or concave dorsomedially, with posteromedial lobes in some species; gonostyli bifurcate, rami highly variable in shape, of equal or unequal length; aedeagus symmetrical; basiphallus composed of single sclerite, laterally or dorsoventrally compressed basally, bifurcate apically; distiphallus variable in shape, composed of paired acuminate or truncate sclerites articulated with apices of basiphallus, or absent in some species; parameres membranous, fused, forming sheath around distiphallus, or sclerotized, with a conspicuous dorsal component in some species (e.g. S. bipunctata and S. capricornuata ); cercopods tapered, curved dorsally, with basal or apical processes in some species, with 10–30 retinacula inserted dorsally; apices of retinacula pectinate. Female terminalia: cerci elongate, more than five times longer than wide, triangular in shape from lateral aspect, their medial surface with irregular rows of macrotrichia; hypovalvae triangular, quadrate or bilobed apically.

Species included. S. bessophila (Quate) , S. bipunctata (Kincaid) , S. birama (Quate) , S. capricornuata sp. nov., S. carolina (Banks) , S. furcata Vaillant , S. kincaidi (Quate) , S. lasiostyla sp. nov., S. mastelleri Wagner , S. mixta (Brunetti) , S. recurrens Vaillant , S. robinsoni sp. nov., S. spinicornis (Brunetti) .

Distribution. Currently known from the Nearctic region (specifically eastern and western United States and Canada, and northwestern Mexico) and the Oriental region (specifically Himalaya).

Remarks. Larvae and adults of Stupkaiella are similar to some closely related genera of Pericomini (e.g. Bazarella Vaillant and Thornburghiella Vaillant ), but can be readily distinguished from these and all other psychodid genera using the following character suites: Larvae: presence of a postmentum with a single row of uniform conical teeth and tergal plates on abdominal segments II–VII with protuberances and chaetotaxy exactly as detailed above. Adults: presence of antennae with spines on flagellomere I in addition to rounded gonocoxites and bifurcate gonostyli in the male, or the shape of the hypovalvae and genital duct in the female.