fungus gnats; Sciaroidea; new genus; taxonomy; zoogeography

A new genus, Brachyradia gen. n., is proposed and described for two new species of the tribe Exechiini (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from the Oriental region. The type species, Brachyradia asiatica new species, is described from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia (Sulawesi) and a second species, Brachyradia australis new species, from Indonesia (Sulawesi) and Papua New Guinea. The systematic position of the new genus and the zoogeography of the tribe Exechiini are discussed. The new genus shows closest affinities with Brevicornu with interconnections towards Cordyla, Neallodia and Anatella. As the latter genera have been considered among the most primitive taxa of the tribe, Brachyradia enlighten new and interesting questions about polarities of characters, direction of morphological transformations and the zoogeographical origin of the Exechiini genera.