AC TA E NTO MO LO GIC A MU SEI NAT IONAL IS P RAG AE VOL. 44 1995 Moth fli es (Dipt era, P sychodidae) inhabiting Prague city and a dj a­ cent localities with descriptions of five new species JAN JEZEK Depart men t of Entomology of the National Muse um (Nat. Hist.), Praha Dip tera, Psychodidae. taxonomy, fa unletica, P rague a gglomeration, new species, redescriptions. Abstract : f ive new species of Psychodine moth flies are described from Central Bohemia in the presented paper: Ju.nRiella (Psychogella) inundationum sp.n., Philoeepedon kowani sp.n., P. nickerli sp.n., P. pragensis ap. n. and Berdeniella vimmeri sp. n, Three rare species, new to Czech Republic, are redescribed here: Thramormia pu.lcherrima (Wag.), Thlmatoscopu.s briUeni Thnn. and Berdeniella manicato ('Ibnn.). Diagnoses of all of these species are given and detailed information about type-mate rial as well as type-localities are included and all importa nt morphological characters are figured. Moreover II review of 52 more or less common species in­ habiting Prague agglomeratio n is shown and characteristics of their ha bitats are given. All pre ­ served historical specimens of moth flies of the Vimmer collection deposited in the National Museum in Prague were revised. Known liter ary data are quoted. Municipal sewages and other liquid wastes of Prague agglomeration are suitable places for life cycles of many species of moth flies. Adults are very common on leaves of plants of the banks of natural brooks as well as paved ones, ditches, gutters, blind arms ofthe river Vltava (shipyard), water reservoirs of stagnant water, spring areas, wet meadows, swamps, bogs, pools below rocky walls, mouths of canals to the river, wet biotopes below railway-lines shaded by bridges. rills of fields, bluffs and hills ides, tributaries an d outflows of ponds, sewers , fountains, wells etc. The adults are seen as well on the walls of dark rooms, flats and closets, latri nes, overgrown wet places with rubbi sh, in town agglomeration, in the localities often polluted by dustbins, rubbi sh heaps, gardens with rotten organic material, manure, excrements.farms with pigs, rubbished rills . Some species are very common by the sides of the sewage treatment tanks with accumulated waste and decomposed materials. The decaying vegetation and scum of green algae are the main feature s of the sewage drains. Adults lay eggs in clusters in drains, liquid wastes and sewage deposits. Many species arc collected as well by light at night. The species whose adults feed on human excrement, garba­ ge and kitchen refuse may be important in transmission of human disea ses. Broken 126 Moth flies (Dipte ra, Psychodida e) inhabiting Prague city scales of the wings, setae, hairs, bristles and sensory filaments of moth flies can cau­ se bronchial asthmatic cough and allergy to moth flies (unpublished information) pro­ bably in the sense of Kino et al. (1987). The role of moth flies in this matter needs to be verified in future, 8 8 well as their use as bioindicato ra of polluted waters. Only Vimmer (1913) quoted in his Catalogus Dipterorum several species of moth flies from Pragu e; however, almost all these literary data concerning famil y Psychodidae must be rejected because of his mostly wrong determinations. A part of his material is probably lost. but there arc 5 species (5 specimens) included in the Vimmer collection of Diptera from the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century, deposited in the Department of Entomology of the National Museum in Prague. Review of preserved and revised species : Trichomyia urbiea Curt.,9, Cem ostce, 6. VI., Vimmer (determined as .Pen como canescens Mg.") - Inv. No. of the slide 3098; Tinearia altemata (Say), a,Vrane, VI., Vimmer (determined as .Psychoda albipen­ nis Zt.") - Inv. No. 3099; Logima albipennis (Zett. ), 9 , Letna, V., Vimmer (determi­ ned as ;>sychoda phale noid. L.") - Inv. No. 3100;S atchellielia nubila (Meig.), a,Krf, 5.V.1894, Collectio Klapalek (determined as .Pericoma canescens Mg.") - Inv. No. 3097; Satchelliella palustris (Meig.), ($, Chuchle, V. 1904, Col. Vimmer (determined as Pericomo palustr. Mg.") - lnv. No. 3096. Several papers with some rather sparse data about moth flies from Prague city have been published by J eZek in the past (1972; 1977; 1982; 1983 a, b; 1985 a, b; 1987 a, b, c; 1988; 1990 a, b). The author's research of Prague city started in 1978 and results are limited by year 1989. This paper quotes the representative material of moth flies mounted on slides only (Canada Balsam ) for the faunistic data bank of the National Museum in Prague (l015 slides). Literary data are based partially on an alcohol materi al as well. This paper is one of a series of papers as further results of research on moth flies in Czech and Slova k Republics, based on the study of all accessible old type material. The problematic generic position of the included species was resolved by J ezek (1977; 1983 a-d; 1984 a , b; 1985 a; 1988; 1990 a , c). The present paper is an attempt to co­ ver a gap in our knowledge on species of moth rues in town agglomerations. Taramormia pulcherrima (Wag.) (Figs. 1 - 14) Mormia pulcher,.il7UJ Wagner, 1979 : 237, 238, 239. Thromormia p ulcherrima: Jesek, 1984a : 158; c : 224. Differential diagnosis. Closely related to Taramormia tatrica Jezek, 1984. Thi s lat­ ter species has the neck of 15th antennal segment very short, basal apodeme wide­ ned not only proximally, paired protuberances of male copulatory organ conspicu­ ously large and bent, oriented laterally, number ofretinaculi greater than 20. The re­ described species below has the neck of 15th antennal segment conspicuous, basal apodeme widened only proxim ally, paired prot uberances of male copulato ry ogan re­ latively small, straight, oriented caudally, number of retinaculi less than 20. Aeta entomologiea Musei Nationalis Prague, 44, 1995 127 Figs. 1 - 7: Thramormia pulcherrima (Wag.), d . 1: head; 2: facets, 3: basal antennal seg­ menta; 4: wing; 5: claw of P,; 6: coxopodite and harpagon late rally; 7; epandrium and cerci dor­ sally. Scales 0.1 mm, in Fig. 4- 1 mm. Male. Eyes contiguous, touching for more th an two dia meters of one facet. Index of distance of tangential points of eye's ends to facet diamete r: 8.8. Antennae 16-seg­ mented. Scape almost cylindrical, a little widened distad, rather long, its length 5.4 times greater than width at base. Pedicel asymmetrical, with long and strong protu­ berance laterad . Flagellar segments pitcher-shaped, middle segments of flagellum are more asymmetrical than basal and apical ones. Distal necks of flagellar segments are more and more prolonged to distal part of flagellum in contrast to apical two seg­ ments with short necks. Ratios of ma ximum width of scape to width of ped icel and first and second flagellar segme nts 2.1:4.3:1.5:1.8, rat ios of length of ante nnal seg­ ments 1 -4 5.4:3.3:2.4:2.0. The last two flagellar segments minute (Fig. 8) in contrast to the segment 14. Apical antennal segment with a thumb-like protuberance, almost egg-shaped. Sensory filamen ts conspicuous, comb-shaped, simple, segment 15 wit h 7 needle-shaped subapical sensory filaments, segment 16 with only five. Circular or­ gans of four flagellar segments developed (4 - 7). The first flagellar segment wit h ve­ ry small sensory circle. Ratios of lengt hs of segments of maxillary palps 3.4:3.5:4.2:5.5. Last segment of maxillary palpus annulate, connected basally with apical end of the foregoing segment. Tenninallobe of labium on Fig. 9. Ratio of ma- 128 Moth flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) inhabiting Prague city Figs. 8 - 14: Turarnarmia pu icherrima (Wag.), cJ . 8: apical antennal segments ; 9: terminal lobe of labium; 10: maxilla a nd palpus maxillaris; 11; thorecaleclerite e late rally; 12: epandrium and cercus laterally; 13: copulatory organ, ccxopodites and ha epagones dorsally; 14: copulatory organ laterally. Scales 0.1 mm. ximal length of cibarium to length of epipharynx 2.2:1. Wings narrowely lancet -she­ ped , 2.7 mm long (va riability 2.4 - 2.7 mm ), cubital area not conspicuously developed, wing membrane barcoWings clouded only behind basal costal margin (only between Sc and fore margin of wings ) as well as in a small area between R, and ~ .". Wings without small strengthened parts of veins in central area; Se, base of'R,.... radial fork, R~, basal part of M,••,basal part of both M, and Cu strengthened. Basal costal nodes dis tinct, Sc uninterrupted. Angle of base of R, and R, acute, the angle of distal part of R..s and R. a little larger than the angle of R.,.. and R.,. Angle of base of M, and M, acute as well, the angle of distal part of M,., and M, conspicuously larger than the angle of M,., and M,. Cu without a connecti on on M" M. with a connection on M. at Aeta entomologiea Musei Nationali s Pragae, 44, 1995 129 base by m. It. exte nds distally to reach wing margin conspicuously behin d the apex of the wing. Veins r-r, rom and m-m developed. Medial wing angle 140°. Indices of wing ABAC:A D = 8.7:9.0:8.3; BC:CD:BD = 1.7:3.1:4.6 (A = end of R., B = radial fork , C = medial fork. D = en d of Cc). Index of base of M,+> , A to maximal width of wing: 2.3. Ratio of maximal length of halteres to its maximal width: 4.2:1.