Monepidosis Mamaev, 1966

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2020, The Porricondylini (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Porricondylinae) of Sweden revisited: descriptions of nineteen new species of ten genera, including a new genus, Zootaxa 4728 (2), pp. 151-182 : 160

Monepidosis Mamaev, 1966

In recent years the genus Monepidosis has found unusually vivid interest among researchers of Porricondylini , partly due to the fact that unnamed species emerged in greater numbers than expected, partly because of opposing opinions about species boundaries ( Spungis 2006; Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: 185 ff.; Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2015; Jaschhof 2016). Issues of species identification are complicated by the circumstance that adults of most Monepidosis species are rarely collected, with the consequence that taxonomic decisions have to be based on small specimen samples. All but one of the 18 Monepidosis species named in the past are Palearctic in distribution ( Gagné & Jaschhof 2017); the single Nearctic species, M. carolinae (Felt) , is a somewhat enigmatic congener whose distinctness remains to be shown (see Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: 185). We currently know of 12 different Monepidosis present in Sweden, including two new species described here as M. difficilis and M. hybrida , and taking into account that M. tinnerti Jaschhof & Jaschhof is revealed here to be a junior synonym of M. duplicis Mamaev (see the chapter on M. duplicis close to the end of this paper).

The genus Monepidosis , another member of generic group Aa, is defined by male genitalic characters, as follows (see Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: 185; Jaschhof 2016: 17). The gonostylus, which usually is dorsoventrally flattened, bears a large, plate-like, often bipartite tooth; the gonocoxal synsclerite has conspicuous, ventroposterior processes varying in number, size and outline; parameres occur usually in two pairs (rarely only one pair) of movable, strongly sclerotized tusks linked with each other; and the apex of the aedeagal apodeme, which is broadened and often laterally compressed, is either straight with posterior orientation or bent ventrad.