Litoleptis Chillcott, 1186

Grimaldi, David A., 2018, First Tropical American Species of the “ Relict ” Genus Litoleptis, and Relationships in Spaniinae (Diptera: Rhagionidae), American Museum Novitates 2018 (3909), pp. 1-20 : 4

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).