Quateiella Cook

(Figs. 11–13)

Quateiella Cook, 1975:63 .

Type –species. Rhexoza quatei Cook (orig. des.).

Diagnosis. A single whorl of setae on flagellomeres, maxillary palpus large, cardo–stipes mesally fused. Distal end of postmentum projected between the labella. Pronotal apodeme curved, katepisternum bare ventrally. No incomplete false r–m vein on M1. No pretergites 3, sternites 2–4 unsclerotized. Male sternite 7 trapezoid, with a posterior mesal incision and a pair of lateral projections. Gonostylus absent; tergite 9 projected dorsally to form a caudal pointed projection (Figs. 11–13).

Discussion. This genus was described by Cook (1975) to include two southern Nearctic species previously placed by Cook (1956a) in the group quatei, Quateiella quatei and Q. minuscula . Besides features that are shared with other higher Swammerdamellini genera (see discussion above), the species of this genus have an apomorphic feature unique in the entire family, a “beak–like” mesal projection distally of the laterally compressed tergite 9 (Figs. 11–13). Haenni (1988) added a species from Spain to this genus, Q. inexpectata, and there is an undescribed species from Central America. To these species should be added R. freyi (Duda, 1937), from the Canary Islands, redescribed by Haenni (2002), a species that clearly shares this feature in the tergite 9 and other diagnostic features of Quateiella .

Species included. Nearctic: Q. quatei (Cook, 1956); Q. minuscula (Cook, 1956) . Palaearctic: Q. freyi (Duda, 1937), n.comb.; Q. inexpectata Haenni, 1988 . Neotropical: Quateiella sp. 1.