Sphaerohelea, Spinelli & Felippe-Bauer, 1990

Borkent, Art, 2024, The Phylogeny of the Genera of Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the World, Zootaxa 5438 (1), pp. 1-274 : 234

Sphaerohelea :

- female abdominal sternite 8 with elongate, slender lobe extending posterolaterally. Many Ceratopogonidae have lobes protruding posteriorly from sternite 8 but none so elongate and slender.

- although not studied systematically, the rostrum is particularly short (with the palpus originating near the ventral margin of the eye) compared to others at least among Echinoheleini + Heteromyiini + Hebetulini + Johannsenomyiini + Sphaeromiini + Palpomyiini + Stenoxenini and is likely autapomorphic at least within this assemblage. The mandibular arm originates well anterior of the ventral-most ommatidia but is still separated by a gap from the more dorsal ommatidia, a unique condition in the family. This is likely a secondary modification reflecting their markedly short rostrum.