''Gynocladius'' is a
parthenogenetic
Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...
genus in the subfamily
Orthocladiinae
Orthocladiinae is a subfamily of midges in the non-biting midge family (Chironomidae). For lack of a better common name, they are simply referred to as orthoclads.
Genera
*'' Aagaardia'' Sæther, 1985
*'' Abiskomyia'' Edwards, 1937
*'' Ac ...
(
Chironomidae
The Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae. Many specie ...
). A single species is recorded from Southeast Brazil, ''Gynocladius scalpellosus'', described by Mendes, Sæther and Andrade-Morraye in 2005. The name stands for the presence of only females (gyneo, gyneco; woman, female in Greek).
All life stages are known, but the sole record of this species is the
type material
In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...
. The holotype is housed in the
Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP), São Paulo, Brazil, paratypes are housed in São Paulo and Bergen, Norway
References
*Mendes, H.F.; Sæther, O.A. & Andrade-Morraye, M. 2005. ''Gynocladius scalpellosus'' n. gen., n. sp. from Brazil (Diptera: Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae). Zootaxa 979: 1-12.
Chironomidae
{{Chironomidae-stub