Search

Leptocerina is an endemic Afrotropical genus of Trichoptera, with 19 species documented but only five partially described at the larval stage. The first description of Leptocerina pauliani (Ross 1957) larva by Marlier Marlier (1982) included very few illustrations, making comparisons with other species challenging. I present a revised description of the L. pauliani larval stage, using specimens collected from the River Marsouins in La Réunion Island. I apply a focus stacking approach for emphasizing coloration patterns and providing a detailed description of larval characters. Criteria for distinguishing L. pauliani from the other species of Leptocerina already described or partially described for the larval stage are discussed.

The morphology of the larvae of three French species of Psychomyiinae: Psychomyia pusilla, Metalype fragilis and Paduniella vandeli are described. A set of characters on the head, the prothorax, and the anal prolegs makes it possible to identify the larvae of the fourth and fifth instars. A brief study of the world distribution of the genera Psychomyia, Metalype, and Paduniella is presented. An examination of the larvae of these three genera from literature data and personal observations offered us the possibility to test the validity of the set of characters obtained for the three French species. A key (with comments) of the three genera is provided.

Co-occurrence of mature larvae and male pharate pupae in benthos samples from the Loire River enabled descriptions of the larva of Homilia leucophaea. Using characters of the head capsule, the labrum, the meso- and metanotum, and the pro- and metathoracic legs, we compared H. leucophaea with larvae of six western European Athripsodes species, including a larval key to these species. The larva of H. leucophaea shares characters with some of the six Athripsodes species. However, without a phylogenetic analysis including larvae, pupae, and adults of Homilia species from the Afrotropical Region, it is currently impossible to decide about a potential synonymy between Athripsodes and Homilia.