''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
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
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
Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
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
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e are available so far.
References
*Mendes, H.F., Andersen, T. & Sæther, O.A. (2004) A review of ''Antillocladius'' Sæther, 1981; ''Compterosmittia'' Sæther, 1981 and ''Litocladius'' new genus (Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae). Zootaxa 594, 1–82.
*Mendes, H.F. & Andersen, T. (2008) A review of ''Antillocladius'' Sæther, 1981 and ''Litocladius'' Mendes, Andersen et Sæther, with the description of two new Neotropical genera (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae). Zootaxa 1887, 1–75.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6648647
Chironomidae