Lonchaea longitarsis

With the combination of bare eyes, multiserial anterior genal setulae, a single stigmatical
seta, dark calypter fringe, and yellow tarsomeres, this species shows closest affinities
to Lonchaea tarsata Fallén, a widespread European and Mediterranean species
which also has the epandrium swollen ventrally. The male of L. longitarsis is easily
distinguished from that of L. tarsata by both the features on the legs and the characteristic
genitalia. It is almost unique amongst described species of Lonchaeidae in having an
elongate basal tarsomere of the foreleg. The females of both species are more difficult to
separate, with the main distinguishing character being that in general females of L. tarsata
are longer-haired than those of L. longitarsis. This is particularly noticeable on the
frons, where in L. tarsata the interfrontal setulae are relatively numerous and long, and
curve towards the mid-line of the frons, where the apices cross over with those from the
opposite side; whereas in L. longitarsis the interfrontal setulae are sparse and short, not
crossing over medially. In the female terminalia the cerci of the two species are rather
similar in chaetotaxy but in general L. longitarsis has longer setulae on the cerci, particularly
the dorsobasal pair, which in L. longitarsis are longer than the length of the cerci;
whereas in L. tarsata these are usually just slightly less than the length of the cerci.