First Tropical American Species of the “ Relict ” Genus Litoleptis, and Relationships in Spaniinae (Diptera: Rhagionidae)
Author
Grimaldi, David A.
text
American Museum Novitates
2018
2018-10-09
2018
3909
1
20
http://www.bioone.org/doi/10.1206/3909.1
journal article
7882
10.1206/3909.1
61b3f9fe-4cf5-441f-8d25-3d8af7a4b3eb
0003-0082
4566367
Litoleptis
Chillcott
Litoleptis
Chillcott, 1963: 1186
.
Type
species:
L. alaskensis
Chillcott
;
Kerr, 2010
(rediagnosis of genus);
Imada and Kato, 2016a
,
2016b
(revision, life histories, larvae).
EMENDED DIAGNOSIS: Like closely related spaniine genera, antenna with single flagellomere (usually tapered or abruptly narrow apically) (fig. 2C), laterotergite bare of fine setulae (fig. 2B); bases of cerci widely separated in female (figs. 5, 6), connected to epandrium in male; adult mandibles lost (except
Spaniopsis
); thickened portion of vein C ending at/near apex of R
5
or M
1
; spermathecae lightly to weakly sclerotized (figs. 5, 6). Larvae graze/mine bryophytes, mandibular brush absent, creeping welts absent.
Litoleptis
is unique among spaniines by loss of all tibial spurs, proboscis reduced, pseudotracheae highly reduced, wing with membrane having very dense microtrichia (fig. 4B) and costal margin with long setulae (fig. 4A); vein M
3
absent, crossvein dm-cu lost (no discal cell), base of M spectral in living species; apex of vein CuA abruptly incomplete in most species (fig. 4).