Sphaeromiini

Mallochohelea larva, from The University of Iowa.

Belongs within: Ceratopogonidae.

The Sphaeromiini are a group of biting midges whose females have a series of stout, blunt spines on the underside of the fifth tarsomere (Downes & Wirth 1981).

Characters (from Downes & Wirth 1981): Female antenna with 13 flagellomeres. Wing with M forking at or before crossvein r-m, medial fork sessile. Tarsomere 5 of female armed ventrally with stout black blunt spines (batonnets). Female abdomen without internal sclerotized gland rods; sternite 8 of female often with pair of hair tufts.

<==Sphaeromiini DW81
    |--Sphaeromias longipennis DW81
    |--Jenkinshelea magnipennis DW81
    |--Macropeza blantoni DW81
    |--Lanehelea BSG09
    |--Neobezzia BSG09
    |--Johannsenomyia DW81
    |    |--J. argentata DW81
    |    `--J. blantoni BSG09
    |--Nilobezzia DW81
    |    |--N. minor DW81
    |    `--N. schwarzii BSG09
    |--Probezzia DW81
    |    |--P. concinna DW81
    |    `--P. pallida DW81
    `--Mallochohelea DW81
         |--M. albibasis DW81
         |--M. pullata BSG09
         `--M. smithi DW81

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BSG09] Borkent, A., G. R. Spinelli & W. L. Grogan Jr. 2009. Ceratopogonidae (biting midges, purrujas). In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley & M. A. Zumbado (eds) Manual of Central American Diptera vol. 1 pp. 407–435. Ottawa, NRC Research Press.

[DW81] Downes, J. A., & W. W. Wirth. 1981. Ceratopogonidae. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth & D. S. Wood (eds) Manual of Nearctic Diptera vol. 1 pp. 393–421. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.