Litocladius

Taxobox
name = "Litocladius"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
subclassis = Pterygota
infraclassis = Neoptera
superordo = Endopterygota|
ordo = Diptera
subordo = Nematocera
infraordo = Culicomorpha
superfamilia = Chironomoidea
familia = Chironomidae
genus = "Litocladius"
genus_authority = Andersen, Mendes & Sæther 2004

"Litocladius" is a genus of chironomid midges that belongs to the subfamily Orthocladiinae and is composed of a single species, "Litocladius mateusi" Mendes, Andersen & Sæther (2004) described from Brazil. Male, female, and pupa are described. This species is so far known only from the type locality and type material.

The types 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 orthoclads.

The only pupa recorded was found living among mosses on tree trunks, no data on the larvae 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.