Poecilovitila gen. nov.

(Figs 9–110, 112–123)

Type species: Poecilovitila elegans sp. nov., by present designation.

Gender: feminine.

Etymology. The name of the new genus is a combination of ‘poecile’ [pictured] and the name of its related genus in Australia.

Diagnosis. Frons shining, without stripes. Head with a pair of vertical calli. First flagellomere elongate in a number of species, with scape sometimes also elongate. Wing shining, mostly dark with a clear “window” distally to apex of R2+3 below costa (Figs 112–121). Only 1 pair of katepisternal setae. Male ejaculatory apodeme (e.g. Figs 34, 49) without a large sagittal ridge and distal part usually less broad. Female with 2 large spherical or ovoid spermathecae. 0.14 x 0.12 mm; sclerotised part of duct thick, short and structured, e.g. spinulose (Figs 80–83).

Description. Head. Frons shining without stripes. First flagellomere elongate in a number of species, with scape sometimes also elongate. Palpus reduced, no (post)frontal setae but 1 strong fronto-orbital pair.

Thorax. Subscutellum small (i.e. very narrow), two pairs of dorsocentral setae, no anepisternal or anepimeral seta. Legs with mid tibial spur only. Pretarsal structures (cf. McAlpine & Keyzer 1994: figs 16–17, 28, 34–35, 42– 43) different from those of Vitila: empodium thin with thin sparse cilia, pulvilli with small central plate and numerous (usually bifid) lateral and ventral cilia. Claws with small and not particularly sharp teeth on inner ventral edge. Wings patterned (Figs 112–121), shining, mostly dark with a clear “window” distally to apex of R2+3 below costa. Vein R 2+3 approximated to costa, at least medially, and sometimes thickened. No alula.

Male abdomen and genitalia (based mainly on those of P. elegans, see Figs 122-123). Six large normal, ventrally curved abdominal tergites, sternites 1 to 6 weakly sclerotised. Postabdomen largely symmetrical (except for phallus). Tergite and sternite 7 form a very short ring with a right subventral-sublateral broader extension; left extension asymmetrical to the right one and more membranous. Sternite 8 present dorsally; also pair of lateral less sclerotised small sclerites discernible, in some species connected by a membrane ventrally. Cerci large and sublateral, anal opening large. Subepandrial sclerite symmetrical and strongly modified: with short broad sclerite (nearly as broad as epandrium) under caudal edge of epandrium with a short process that connects to one pair of large, broad horizontal plates (there connected to cerci only as membrane) at the level of the surstylar bases, where it is strongly connected to the caudal base of the surstyli. Hypandrium small wide U-shaped, connecting dorsal process to epandrium; and not fused to postgonites. Pregonites (Fig. 122: PrG) subdivided with a broad bare, dorsal and a setose narrowing ventral part. Postgonites (Fig 122: PG) sometimes small but always present lateral to basiphallus. Surstylus large with lateral (outer) wall setose, and inner wall partial (apical). Surstylus with broad base, and apically or posterodorsally with short thick black teeth (pegs). Phallus (Fig. 123) very broad at base, with wide Ushaped basiphallus (in dorsal/ventral view), also an epiphallus of specific shape present. Proximal (longer) part of distiphallus, we may name it as mesophallus (Fig. 123: mPh), composed of two asymmetrical ribbons of uneven width, similar to that of Suillia males ( Heleomyzidae). Distiphallus (Fig. 123: dPh) entirely asymmetrical, dark and strongly sclerotised. Phallapodeme (Fig. 122: PhA) Y-shaped, comparatively small. Male ejaculatory apodeme (Fig. 123: EA and e.g. Figs 72–73, 106) large, more or less spoon-shaped, distal (free) end cornet-shaped, basal end (continued in ejaculatory duct) curved and more or less flattened and broadened.

Female with 2 large ovoid spermathecae of 0.14 * 0.12 mm or even smaller. Sclerotized part of duct thick short and structured (Figs 81-84). Eggs (Figs 101–102) extremely large, 0.66 mm long. Considering the size of abdomen (1.1–1.2 mm long) and the space inside, only a limited number of eggs is to be ripen synchronously, and so must ripen continuously (a limited number laid synchronously).

Remarks. Griffiths (1972: p. 119) made figures on the male genitalia of an undescribed species from Nepal. Female characters are mentioned below only exceptionally, but most females can be identified through the key below (particularly for those species with autapomorphic wings (Figs 112–121)).

The eleven species described below is only a small part of the extant species of Poecilovitila (cf. McAlpine & Keyzer 1994), and for this reason I feel a phylogenetic analysis as premature.