A revision of the late Eocene snakeflies (Raphidioptera) of the Florissant Formation, Colorado, with special reference to the wing venation of the Raphidiomorpha
Author
Makarkin, Vladimir N.
Author
Archibald, S. Bruce
text
Zootaxa
2014
3784
4
401
444
journal article
46097
10.11646/zootaxa.3784.4.4
16f488d9-eb77-4ff5-a7ce-99eeb7875371
1175-5326
252218
D5E03502-7BD3-41F4-A4CF-5537B1462A23
Genus
Megaraphidia
Cockerell, 1907
Megaraphidia
Cockerell, 1907
: 606
;
Cockerell 1908
: 342
(as a possible subgenus of
Raphidia
);
Cockerell 1909a
: 73
;
Cockerell 1909b
: 78
;
Cockerell 1912
: 216
(as a possible subgenus of
Raphidia
);
Handlirsch 1913
: 812
;
Handlirsch
1920
–1921 [1921]: 255;
Cockerell & Custer 1925
: 295
;
Martynov 1925a
: 244
, 245;
Carpenter 1936
: 145
, 146;
Metzger 1960
: 41
;
Oswald 1990
: 160
(as a synonym of
Raphidia
);
Aspöck
et al
. 1991
: 536
, 537, 665;
Engel 2002
: 21
(as a tentative synonym of
Raphidia
).
Type
species.
Megaraphidia elegans
Cockerell, 1907
, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Relatively large raphidiids (forewing up to
14 mm
long). Both wings: relatively long ScP [short in
Archiraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
]; short, rather pale pterostigma [long in
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
] in which incorporated branch of RA clearly visible [incorporated branch of RA poorly visible in
Archiraphidia
]. Forewing: costal space broad [relatively narrow in
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
]; branches of CuA, M long [short in
Archiraphidia
], mainly forked [mainly simple in
Archiraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
].
Species included.
Two species from Florissant,
Megaraphidia elegans
and
M. exhumata
(Cockerell, 1909)
,
comb. nov.
Remarks.
Two species included in this genus have very similar venation, distinguished as indicated in their diagnoses. However, they may represent one variable species.
The venation of this genus is most similar to that of the extant Palearctic genus
Phaeostigma
(41 species) distributed mainly in the eastern Mediterranean. In particular, they share a strongly broadened costal space; branches of CuA to
RP
mainly forked; and a long ScP. However, the majority of
Phaeostigma
species possess two or more branches of RA incorporated in the pterostigma, and/or 3ra-rp is located distad the pterostigma. The venation of a few
Phaeostigma
species differs from that of
Megaraphidia
species only in small details. Nevertheless, the possible synonymization of two these genera is premature. Further, among other considerations, the body of
Megaraphidia
(the senior name) is unknown.