4.3.23 Sciaroidea excl. Sciaridae

Fungus gnats in the alpine landscape of Stilfserjoch National Park in northern Italy were studied on the basis of the material collected by five Malaise traps throughout the season of 2005 and a few Yellow-tray traps in 2003 and 2004. Collecting localities were selected gradually along the altitude types, viz. submontane (940 m), montane (1,220 m), oreal (high montane – 1,630 m), subalpine (2,030 m), and alpine (2,315 m). The trapping yielded 7,225 specimens from which 290 species were recorded including 117 species new to Italy and 281 species new to South Tyrol. Four genera – Drepanocercus VOCKEROTH, Novakia STROBL, Rondaniella JOHANNSEN, Pseudobrachypeza TUOMIKOSKI – were recorded as new to Italy. Sciophila quadratula LOEW was recorded from the Palaearctic region for the first time. Five new species – Docosia pseudogilvipes spec. nov., Leia stelviana spec. nov., Exechiopsis (Xenexechia) vasculiforma spec. nov., Mycetophila ziegleri spec. nov., Phronia montana spec. nov. – are described, discussed and provided with detailed figures of male terminalia and colour photographs of habitus. The fauna of fungus gnats in the oreal and montane zones is found to be most speciose and abundant.