Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Psychodidae - Any Help Appreciated

Posted by Gunnar M Kvifte on 06-11-2014 12:10
#2

Pneumia is probably the right genus, but it is still a guess. Psychodid taxonomy is still very much reliant on genital anatomy (although dissections are not strictly necessary). There are good characters in the coloration of different hair patches, but since they tend to fall off all too easily the job of associating them with genital characters is not an easy one. Hopefully there will be a colour atlas of European Psychodidae some day, but the road to get there is long and winding...
If you have the specimen and want to try to identify it, there is an excellent handbook to the British species published by Dipterist's Digest. It is written by Withers (1989) and can be bought for 4£ at http://www.dipteristsforum.org.uk/sgb_dipterists_digest.php. You can also send the specimen to me :)
If you photograph more moth flies in the future, it will be useful to also collect the specimens and get them identified -- every wing pattern/genitalia association helps!