Genus Eugenys Quate, 1996

Eugenys Quate, 1996: 43 .

Eugenys – Quate 1999: 432 (description of new species). — Kvifte 2018: 603 (tribal classification).

Type species

Eugenys clavellata Quate, 1996: 432 (by original designation).

Differential diagnosis

Eugenys is a very distinctive genus and it can be easily differentiated from other genera of Psychodinae by the following characters: eyes contiguous, eye bridge with three facet rows; antenna with 14 symmetric fusiform flagellomeres, except flagellomere 14 which is elongated and longer than the previous flagellomere, with a terminal apiculus; ascoids very long (the length of 3–4 flagellomeres), wavy-zigzag and rod-shaped (unknown in E. cymosa); mouthparts atrophied or very reduced; palpi short, not extending beyond flagellomere 3–4; thorax without allurement organs, with alveoli on the central part of anepisternum, posteriorly to anterior spiracle; broad wings, vein R 2+3 very short, arising from R 4 (Rs pectinate), R 5 ending in wing apex or slightly after apex, CuA 2 ending beyond medial fork; male genitalia with asymmetrical aedeagal complex, hypopods with one tenaculum or multiple tenacula.

Remarks

Quate’s (1996) original description of the genus was based only on the type species; however, when he later described two additional species in this genus (Quate 1999: E. cymosa and E. panamensis), not all the characters and structures were available for comparison, e.g., in type specimens of E. panamensis the antennae are incomplete; therefore, the last flagellomere is unknown. In type specimens of E. cymosa the ascoids are missing; consequently, there is no comparison of this character between the species. Furthermore, the last flagellomere in E. clavellata is considerably longer than the one present in E. cymosa . Lastly, the number of tenacula present on the hypopods varies from one in E. clavellata and E. panamensis to 14–16 in E. cymosa which makes E. cymosa hard to fit in the original diagnosis of the genus by Quate (1996) based solely on the number of tenacula and terminal flagellomeres. The updated diagnosis proposed above fits all of the previously described species, as well as the herein described species.

Biology

To date, nothing is known about the immature stages and the biology of the species of Eugenys . Adults have atrophied (or very reduced) mouthparts, and it is believed that adults do not feed (see Discussion).

Species included

Eugenys clavellata Quate, 1996, E. cymosa Quate, 1999, E. micra sp. nov., E. panamensis Quate, 1999, E. singularis sp. nov. and E. upsilon sp. nov. Species distribution is shown in Fig. 1.