Monograph of Papuan Psychodidae, Including Phlebotomus (Diptera).

摘要

Undertaking a study of Psychodidae of the Papuan subregion is entering virgin territory. No other psychodid fauna has been so neglected. While the faunas of many other regions are poorly known, in none was our knowledge of the psychodids so meager. The only publication which dealt with these small flies was a single paper on Phlebotomus by Fairchild (1952), which was based on small collections made during World War II largely by U.S. Army personnel of the 5th Malaria Survey Unit. Since that time, large collections of insects have been made in New Guinea and we have had available some 20,000 specimens of psychodids. These have provided a significant insight into the Papuan psychodids and have increased the number of species from a mere 9 to 228. Yet, we feel this is but a small part of the total and would hazard the guess that even now no more than 25% of the psychodids are known. The material we studied has come chiefly from New Guinea, but a little also from New Britain and New Ireland.