Litocladius
Encyclopedia
Litocladius is a genus of chironomid
midges that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae
and is composed of three species, Litocladius confusus Mendes et Andersen (2008), Litocladius mateusi Mendes, Andersen & Sæther (2004), and Litocladius floripa Mendes et Andersen (2008) all described from Brazil
only. Male, female, and pupa
of the type species (Litocladius mateusi) are described, the remaining two species are known only from the male adults. This species are known from the Atlantic Forest, along the Brazilian coastline.
The types/biological type
of the only known species are housed in São Paulo, Brazil and Bergen, Norway.
The etymology
of the genus is from the Greek "litos", meaning plain, simple, referring to the reduced pupa and the shape of the inferior volsella; "cladius" stands as a common ending among Orthocladiinae
.
The only pupa recorded was found living among mosses on tree trunks; no data on the larva
e are available so far.
Chironomidae
Chironomidae are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae...
midges that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae
Orthocladiinae
Orthocladiinae is a subfamily of midges in the non-biting midge family . For lack of a better common name, they are simply referred to as orthoclads.-Genera:*Abiskomyia Edwards, 1937*Acamptocladius Brundin, 1956...
and is composed of three species, Litocladius confusus Mendes et Andersen (2008), Litocladius mateusi Mendes, Andersen & Sæther (2004), and Litocladius floripa Mendes et Andersen (2008) all described from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
only. Male, female, and pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
of the type species (Litocladius mateusi) are described, the remaining two species are known only from the male adults. This species are known from the Atlantic Forest, along the Brazilian coastline.
The types/biological type
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
of the only known species are housed in São Paulo, Brazil and Bergen, Norway.
The etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the genus is from the Greek "litos", meaning plain, simple, referring to the reduced pupa and the shape of the inferior volsella; "cladius" stands as a common ending among Orthocladiinae
Orthocladiinae
Orthocladiinae is a subfamily of midges in the non-biting midge family . For lack of a better common name, they are simply referred to as orthoclads.-Genera:*Abiskomyia Edwards, 1937*Acamptocladius Brundin, 1956...
.
The only pupa recorded was found living among mosses on tree trunks; no data on the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are available so far.