Psychodinae Explained

The Psychodinae are the nominate subfamily of moth flies (Psychodidae), also known as drain flies. Like most of their relatives, they are usually found in damp habitats; some occur in caves. The small larvae are aquatic or semi-terrestrial; the adults are winged and capable of flight. Psychodinae are found worldwide,^[1] including some subantarctic islands.^[2]

Description

Adult Psychodinae are small flies that do not exceed 5–6 mm in length. Their body, legs and wings are covered in many setae which (in males) are often pigmented, resulting in colour patterns. Their eyes are usually reniform and connected dorsomedially by an eye-bridge. The antennae each consist of a scape, pedicel and 12-14 flagellomeres, and each flagellomere has one or more ascoids of variable shape. The wings are ovate in shape with 9-10 longitudinal veins and almost no crossveins. Species of Psychodinae often look similar, only being distinguishable by the shape of the male genitalia.^[3]

Larval Psychodinae are segmented with each segment subdivided and each subdivision dorsally sclerotised.^[4] The tergal sclerites have true and accessorial setae which are useful for determining species.^[5] Unlike in other subfamilies of Psychodidae, the abdomen ends in a tubular siphon tipped with spiracles.

Habitat and diet

The larval biology of Psychodinae has mainly been studied for Palearctic and Nearctic taxa, with less known about Afrotropical taxa. Most are detritivores in marginal freshwater habitats such as the edges of springs and streams, waterlogged soils and phytotelmata. They also occur in leaf litter, compost, decaying wood, fungal fruiting bodies, dung, carrion, caves, drains and sewage pipes.^[6] A few species may cause myiasis.

Pupation occurs on the surface of the organic film inhabited by larvae.

Humans may encounter adult Psychodinae in bathrooms and sewage installations. Adults are drawn to artificial light. They feed on polluted water and the nectar of flowers.

Reproduction

Males locate females using species-specific pheromones, and also produce pheromones themselves for courtship. Psychodid antennae have sensilla that may be used for detecting these pheromones. Many Psychodinae also have specialised secondary sexual characteristics for release and detection of chemical cues. They also use visual and tactile displays.

Tribes and genera

Maruinini Enderlein, 1937^[7]

• Alloeodidicrum Duckhouse, 1990^[8]
• Didicrum Enderlein, 1937^[7]
• Eremolobulosa Duckhouse, 1990^[8]
• Maruina Müller, 1895^[9]
• Paratelmatoscopus Satchell, 1953^[10]
• Rotundopteryx Duckhouse, 1990^[8]

Setomimini Vaillant, 1982^[11]

• Arisemus Satchell, 1955^[12]
• Australopericoma Vaillant, 1975^[13]
• Balbagathis Quate, 1996^[14]
• Lobulosa Szabo, 1960^[15]
• Neoarisemus Botosaneanu & Vaillant, 1970^[16]
• Parasetomima Duckhouse, 1968 ^[17]
• Platyplastinx Enderlein, 1937^{[7] [18]}
• Setomima Enderlein, 1937^[7]
• Tonnoiriella Vaillant, 1982^[11]

Mormiini Enderlein, 1937^[7]

• Atrichobrunettia Satchell, 1953^[10]
• Brunettia Annandale, 1910^[19]
• Gerobrunettia Quate & Quate, 1967^[20]
• Mormia Enderlein, 1935^[21]

Paramormiini Enderlein, 1937^[7]

• Clogmia Enderlein, 1937^[7]
• Eurygarka Quate, 1959^[22]
• Feuerborniella Vaillant, 1971^[13]
• Panimerus Eaton, 1913^[23]
• Paramormia Enderlein, 1935^[21]
• Peripsychoda Enderlein, 1935^[21]
• Philosepedon Eaton, 1904^[24]
• Telmatoscopus Eaton, 1904^[24]
• Threticus Eaton, 1904^[24]
• Trichopsychoda Tonnoir, 1922^[25]
• Vaillantodes Wagner, 2002^[26]

Pericomaini Enderlein, 1935^[21]

• Bazarella Vaillant, 1961^[27]
• Berdeniella Vaillant, 1971^[13]
• Breviscapus Quate, 1955^[28]
• Clytocerus Eaton, 1904^[24]
• Lepidiella Enderlein, 1937^[7]
• Notiocharis Eaton, 1913^[23]
• Pericoma Haliday, in Walker, 1856^[29]
• Pneumia Enderlein, 1935^[21]
• Saraiella Vaillant, 1981
• Stupkaiella Vaillant, 1973^[30]
• Szaboiella Vaillant, 1979
• Thornburghiella Vaillant, 1982^[11]
• Ulomyia Haliday, in Walker, 1856^[29] (= Saccopterix Haliday, in Curtis, 1839, preoccupied)

Psychodini Quate, 1959^[22]

• Epacretron Quate, 1965^[31]
• Psychoda Latreille, 1796 ^[32]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Subfamily Psychodinae - Moth Flies . 2022-07-29 . bugguide.net.
2. Hänel . C. . Chown . S. L. . Davies . L. . 1 Dec 1998 . Records of alien insect species from sub-Antarctic Marion and South Georgia Islands. . . 6 . 2 . 366–369 . 1021-3589.
3. Wagner . Rüdiger . Koç . Hasan . Özgül . Okan . Tonguç . Alper . 2013 . New moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) from Turkey . Zoology in the Middle East . en . 59 . 2 . 152–167 . 10.1080/09397140.2013.810880 . 85237235 . 0939-7140.
4. Web site: Diptera What Bug Is That? . 2022-07-29 . anic.csiro.au.
5. Book: Kvifte . G. M. . Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. Volume 2. Nematocerous Diptera and lower Brachycera . Wagner . R. . South African National Biodiversity Institute . 2017 . 9781928224129 . PSYCHODIDAE (Sand Flies, Moth Flies or Owl Flies).
6. Wagner . Rüdiger . Rada . Tonći . 2020-09-02 . Moth flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) living in the dark of caves in the Dinaric Karst . Zootaxa . 4845 . 2 . 275–282 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4845.2.8 . 33056776 . 222839455 . 1175-5334.
7. Enderlein . Günther . Klassifikation der Psychodiden (Dipt.) . Entomologische Zeitschrift . 1937 . 1936 . 3–4 . 81–112 . 10.1002/mmnd.193619360301 . 26 May 2022.
8. Duckhouse . D.A. . The Australasian genera of pericomoid Psychodidae (Diptera) and the status of related Enderlein genera in the Neotropics . Invertebrate Taxonomy . 1990 . 3 . 721–746.
9. Müller . Fritz . Contribution towards the history of a new form of larvae of Psychodidae (Diptera), from Brazil . Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London . 1895 . 1895 . 4 . 29 May 2022. 479–482 . 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1895.tb02109.x.
10. Satchell . G.H. . The Australian Psychodidae (Diptera), Part 1 . Australian Journal of Zoology . 1953 . 1 . 3 . 357–418. 10.1071/ZO9530357 .
11. Vaillant . F. . Quelques precisions au sujet de cinq genres de Psychodidae Psychodinae (Diptères) . Trav. Lab. Hydrobiol. Piscic. Univ. Grenoble . 1982 . 71-73 (1979-1981) . 211–217.
12. Satchell . G.H. . Two new subgenera of Psychodidae (Diptera) from Jamaica, with descriptions of five new species . Annals and Magazine of Natural History . 1955 . 8 . 12 . 85–93. 10.1080/00222935508651831 .
13. Vaillant . F. . 9d. Psychodidae-Psychodinae. In: Lindner, E. (ed.) . Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region . 1971 . 2[Lfg. 287] . 1–48.
14. Quate . L.W. . Preliminary taxonomy of Costa Rican Psychodidae (Diptera), exclusive of Phlebotominae . Revista de Biología Tropical . 1996 . 44 . Supplement 1 . 1–81. 9161543 .
15. Szabó . J. . Neue Pericoma-Arten aus dem Karpathenbecken (Diptera, Psychodidae) 6 . Acta Zoologica Hungarica . 1960 . 6 . 167–176.
16. Botosaneanu . L. . Vaillant . F. . Trois Diptères Psychodidae nouveaux de Cuba. . Trav. Lab. Hydrobiol. Piscic. Univ. Grenoble . 1970 . 61 . 173–183.
17. Duckhouse . D.A. . Psychodidae (Diptera, Nematocera) collected by Mr. Plaumann in southern Brazil . Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London B . 1968 . 37 . 29–40.
18. Quate . Laurence W. . Brown . Brian Victor . Revision of Neotropical Setomimini (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) . Contributions in Science . 2004 . 500 . 1–117 . 10.5962/p.210558 . 198237099 . 28 December 2021. free .
19. Annandale . T.N. . A new genus of psychodid Diptera from the Himalayas and Travancore . Records of the Indian Museum . 1910 . 5 . 141–144, 1 pl . 10.5962/bhl.part.10497 . 29 May 2022. free .
20. Quate . L.W. . Quate . S.H. . A monograph of Papuan Psychodidae, including Phlebotomus (Diptera) . Pacific Insects Monograph . 1967 . 15 . 1–216.
21. Enderlein . Günther . Zur Klassifikation der Psychodinen . Sber. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berl. . 1935 . 1935 . 246–249.
22. Quate . L.W. . Classification of the Psychodini (Psychodidae: Diptera) . Annals of the Entomological Society of America . 1959 . 52 . 4 . 444–451 . 10.1093/aesa/52.4.444 .
23. Eaton . A.E. . The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905. Diptera Psychodidae . Transactions of the Linnean Society of London . 1913 . 15 . 423–432 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1913.tb00110.x . 29 May 2022.
24. Eaton . A.E. . New genera of European Psychodidae . Entomologist's Monthly Magazine . 1904 . 15 . 2 . 55–59 . 29 May 2022.
25. Tonnoir . A.L. . Synopsis des espèces europeennes du genre Psychoda (Diptères) . Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique . 1922 . 62 . 49–88.
26. Wagner . R.H. . Contribution to the knowledge of Spanish Psychodidae (Diptera) with description of two new species . Zoologica Baetica . 2001 . 12 . 83–90.
27. Vaillant . F. . Revision des Psychodidae Psychodinae de France . Annales de la Société Entomologique de France . 1961 . 130 . 131–154. 10.1080/21686351.1961.12279142 .
28. Quate . L.W. . A revision of the Psychodidae (Diptera) in America north of Mexico . University of California Publications in Entomology . 1955 . 10 . 103–273.
29. Book: Walker . F. . Insecta Britannica, Diptera. Volume 3 . 1856 . L. Reeve . London . xxiv + 352 pp., pls. 21–30.
30. Vaillant . F. . Some new Psychodidae Psychodinae from the United States (Diptera) . Annales de la Société Entomologique de France . 1973 . 9 . 2 . 345–379. 10.1080/21686351.1973.12278141 .
31. Quate . L.W. . A taxonomic study of Philippine Psychodidae (Diptera) . Pacific Insects . 1965 . 7 . 815–902.
32. Book: Latreille . P.A. . Precis des caracteres generiques des insectes, disposes dans un ordre naturel . 1797 . Prevot, Paris . Bordeaux, Brive . xiv + 201 + [7] . 29 May 2022.