Leptocera OLIVIER, 1813

Papp, L., 2012, A Review Of The Afrotropical Species Of Leptocera Olivier (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (3), pp. 225-258 : 226-227

Leptocera OLIVIER, 1813

Type species: Leptocera nigra OLIVIER, 1813 (monotypy).

ROHÁČEK (1982) and BUCK and MARSHALL (2009) described the morphology and diagnostic features in great detail, and there is not much to add here. Below I summarise the characteristics of the male and female terminalia only.

Male abdominal tergites (incl. the 5th one) with long caudal margital setae. Male sternite 5 various, with or without with a pair of posterior lobes but usually with a medio-caudal less sclerotised and melanised part, which bears dense fine short microtrichia and usually also some setae. Synsternite with basic structure characteristic in the subfamily Limosininae , but their sternite 8 is fused to epandrium. The epandrium is not fused below the anal opening and the modified cerci are separate from it. The shape of their cercus is often species-specific. Hypandrium broadly and strongly fused to epandrium, strongly sclerotised, its apodeme rod-like or dorso-ventrally flattened, posteriorly with forked processes that connects with the postgonites ( Figs 20 , 64 , etc.). Two pairs of surstyli connected by membranes only: anterior part of surstylus usually with a larger anterior part terminating in a ventrally directed process and a less projecting posterior part; posterior part of surstylus with a strong bristle apically. The postgonites are broadly fused to each other at the base, forming one piece (cf. BUCK & MARSHALL 2009) often characteristic (length, shape, etc.). Phallus in two parts: basiphallus well sclerotised without epiphallus, distiphallus short (always shorter than phallapodeme), mainly membranous with dense fine microtrichia, mostly with a dorsal sagittal sclerotised sclerite, in several species also with a shorter ventral sclerite, which may be fused firmly with the dorsal one. Phallapodeme strong. Ejaculatory apodeme present but small, variably sclerotised.

Female with seven normal preabdominal segments, although length of the 7th is variable. Tergite 8 consists of 2 lateral sclerites, which have a pair of medially directed narrow ventral processes and bear long setae, mostly on caudal margin. Sternite 8 usually species-specific; intersegmental membrane before sternite 8 sometimes with an additional translucent sclerite (e.g. Fig. 16 ). Tergite 10 (= tergite 9 or epiproct of authors) usually flat, with or without setae. Sternite 10 (sternite 9, hypoproct) well formed and enlarged in some species, with short setulae, but sometimes reduced to a caudal rim, with short, often very thick (peg-like) setae. Cerci sometimes short, usually fused to tergite 10 to form a single sclerite (a condition that likely evolved more than once in the genus). Spermathecae 1+2, globular to pear-shaped, or cylindrical, with usually numerous (rarely few) more or less acute projections (spicules), especially on their base. The length of sclerotised ducts (incl. individual ducts of paired spermathecae) is also characteristic.

Figures

Figs 17–22. Leptocera elgonensis RICHARDS, male postabdomen. 17 = sternite 5 and synsternite, ventral view, 18 = caudal part of sternite 5, ventral view, 19 = postgonite, right lateral view, 20 = hypandrium, ventral view, 21 = phallus, phallapodeme and ejaculatory apodeme, left lateral view, 22 = cercus and contours of posterior part of surstylus, caudal view. Scale bars: 0.4 mm for Fig. 17, 0.2

Figs 61–66. Leptocera melanaspis (BEZZI, 1908), male postabdomen: 61 = sternite 5, ventral view, 62 = caudal part of sternite 5, ventral view, 63 = synsternite, posteroventral view, 64 = hypandrium, ventral view, 65 = postgonite, left lateral view, 66 = phallus and ejaculatory apodeme, left lateral

Figs 9–16. Leptocera spp., female postabdomen and spermathecae. 9–12. L. austroafricana sp. n.: 9 = tergite 10 fused with cerci, dorsal view, 10 = tergite 8, lateral view, 11 = sternite 8, ventral view, 12 = spermathecae. 13–16. L. elgonensis RICHARDS: 13 = tergite 10 fused with cerci, dorsal view, 14 = tergite 8, lateral view, 15 = spermathecae, 16 = sternite 7 and sternite 8, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2