Leptomorphus ornatus, : Matile, 1977

Borkent, Christopher J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2012, Systematics and Phylogeny of Leptomorphus Curtis (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) 3549, Zootaxa 3549, pp. 1-117 : 76

Leptomorphus ornatus species group

The monophyly of the L. ornatus group is weakly supported (Br = 1) by a single homoplasious character state: pedicel with setae and/or bristles only on dorsal apex (5:1) ( Figs. 150–152). This group includes species from the Oriental, northeastern Australasian, eastern Palaearctic, and Nearctic regions. Leptomorphus ornatus is the sister group to the remaining species, though this may be due to a lack of information on male genitalic characters, so this placement should be confirmed if and when males are found for this species. The remaining species in this clade are weakly united by a single homoplasious character state (Br = 1): no inter-antennal bristles on frons (11:2).

Leptomorphus babai and L. hyalinus form a well-supported clade (Br = 3), based on six homoplasious character states: frons brown (10:1), scutellum brown (23:0), alula with macrotrichia (37:0), sternite 9 absent or membranous (46:0, 47:0), and anterior margin of fusion of parameral and gonocoxal apodemes with a sclerotized, thickened area (70:1).

The monophyly of the remaining four species is supported by two uniquely-derived synapomorphies (Br = 2): palp segment 3 spherical (12:1), apex of gonostylar main lobe bifurcated into 2 points (62:1), and one homoplasious character state: apices of M veins thinning apically and not reaching wing margin (43:1). The three species found in the Malay Archipelago ( L. tagbanua , L. tabatius , L. chaseni ) form a well-supported monophyletic group supported by five uniquely-derived synapomorphies (Br = 2): abdominal segments 3–5 swollen relative to adjacent segments (44:1), fusion of tergite 9 and gonocoxite strongly fused, margin only discernible as a thickening (54:2), aedeagus with apodemes reduced to a single lobe and united with sternite 9 (69:1), apex of paramere shorter than apex of aedeagus due to reduction/loss of paramere (72:3), paramere reduced (73:2), and five homoplasious character states: mediotergite with medial or anteromedial patch of small bristles/setae absent (26:0), apical wing spot absent or faintly present in apical 1/4 of r (33:1), tergite 9 with ventrobasal margin of posterior lobes thickened and sclerotized, often bearing one or more ventrally extending points laterally (53:1), length of gonocoxite <0.8X medial length of tergite 9 (56:3), and paramere shape unknown due to reduction (71:3).

The relationship between L. tabatius and L. chaseni should be regarded as tentative, as it is only supported by one homoplasious character state (Br = 1): large-socketed scutellar bristles absent (25:1), and L. chaseni is missing information for many characters because it is only known from the female.

None of the eight species recently described from the Malay Archipelago by Papp & Ševčík (the L. ascutellatus group, 2011) were included in the phylogenetic analysis, due to a lack of material and incomplete description of characters relevant to the analysis. However, based on the illustrations of male genitalia in the original descriptions, they all appear to belong to the apical group of species in the L. ornatus group ( L. titiwangsensis and relatives).