New genera and species of the minute snakeflies (Raphidioptera: Mesoraphidiidae: Nanoraphidiini) from the mid Cretaceous of Myanmar
Author
Liu, Xingyue
Author
Lu, Xiumei
Author
Zhang, Weiwei
text
Zootaxa
2016
4103
4
301
324
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4103.4.1
cbd5532b-82f3-4fc1-a7f3-cd1a0e795c49
1175-5326
264759
B6428194-1C7A-4A9F-9038-EE4A78222A06
Genus
Rhynchoraphidia
gen. nov.
(
Figs. 5–6
)
Type
species:
Rhynchoraphidia burmana
sp. nov.
Diagnosis.
Minute size. Head ovoid, with portion posterior to compound eyes shorter than eye length and tapering caudad; clypeus slightly prolonged and distinctly narrowed, nearly as long as compound eye length; compound eyes large and ovoid; ocelli absent; antennae possibly long. Pronotum slightly shorter than head, with a constant height along entire length. All tibiae swollen, lacking specialized spines; tibial spurs absent. Wings narrowly elongate. Forewing: Costal space distinctly broadened at its midpoint; pterostigma elongate, ~1/4× wing length, medially with a pterostigmal crossvein, proximally closed by a crossvein and distally closed by a veinlet of RA; Scp terminating into C slightly proximad wing midpoint; posterior veinlet of RA continuous with stem of RA;
RP
with anterior branch proximally not angled; two radial cells, one discal cell, and one discoidal cell present. Hindwing: Stem of MA proximally fused with MP; CuA distally bifurcated; an oblique proximal mp-cua present; three radial cells, one discal cell, and one discoidal cell present.
Etymology.
From “
rhyncho
-”, rostrate, and
Raphidia
, a common genus-group name of
Raphidioptera
, in reference to the prolonged and narrowed clypeus, of the new genus. Gender: feminine.
Remarks.
The new genus appears to be closely related to
Alavaraphidia
Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver, Delclòs & Engel,
2012 in
having similar prolonged clypeus and swollen tibiae, but can be separated from the latter genus by the absence of ocelli (three ocelli present in
Alavaraphidia
) and the tarsomere 3 without digitiform processes (six to eighth digitiform processes present on bilobed extentions in
Alavaraphidia
). Among the nanoraphidiine genera,
Rynchoraphidia
gen. nov.
also shares the presence of pterostigmal crossvein with the contemporary genus
Burmoraphidia
gen. nov.
while it can be distinguished from the latter genus based on the absence of ocelli (three ocelli present in
Burmoraphidia
gen. nov.
), the pterostigma proximally closed by a crossvein (pterostigma proximally diffused in
Burmoraphidia
gen. nov.
), and the swollen metatibia (metatibia not swollen in
Burmoraphidia
gen. nov.
).
Rhynchoraphidia burmana
sp. nov.
(
Figs. 5–6
)
Diagnosis.
As for the genus.
Description.
Holotype
EMTG BA-002256. Female. Body length
5.1 mm
(measured without ovipositor) and
7.4 mm
(measured with ovipositor). Body generally blackish brown except for pale legs.
Head ovoid,
0.9 mm
long, with portion posterior to compound eyes shorter than eye length and tapering caudad; clypeus distinctly narrowed and slightly prolonged, nearly as long as compound eye length. Compound eyes large and ovoid, separated by distance slightly shorter than compound eye length. Ocelli absent. Antennae inserted at position slightly posteriad anterior tangent of compound eyes, with only proximal parts preserved; preserved part of antenna about 1.0 mm; scape subcylindrical, strongly robust; pedicel subcylindrical, about half length of scape, and slightly thicker than neighboring flagellomere; flagellum damaged, entire length unknown, but possibly long. Mouthparts not clearly visible, with short maxillary palps.
Prothorax
0.6 mm
long, meso- plus metathorax
0.9 mm
long; pronotum slightly shorter than head, with a constant height along its entire length, and with anterolateral portions slightly expanded. Legs short, densely setose; all tibiae swollen and lacking spines; tarsomere 3 bilobed; pretarsal claws simple, with a basal enlargement; arolium reduced.
Wings hyaline, veins dark, with short setae. Forewing length
4.4 mm
, maximum width
0.8 mm
; costal space distinctly broadened at its midpoint (at widest point costal space ~1.4× width of pterostigma); three costal crossveins present; ScP terminating into C slightly proximad wing midpoint; pterostigma elongate (
1.1 mm
long), ~1/4× forewing length, with constant width along its entire length, and medially with an oblique pterostigmal crossvein; pterostigma starting
0.3 mm
(~4.0× pterostigmal width) beyond termination of ScP, proximally closed by a crossvein and distally closed by anterior veinlet of RA; RA distally bifurcated, with posterior branch continuous with its stem;
RP
simple or with two short branches, anterior branch not zig-zagged with stem of
RP
; MA with two branches; two radial cells and one discal cell present; MP with two long, distally bifurcated branches; one discoidal cell present; CuA distally bifurcated, with anterior branch partially fused with posterior branch of MP. Hindwing length
3.6 mm
, maximum width
0.7 mm
; costal space distinctly narrower than that of forewing; two costal crossveins present; pterostigma elongate (1.0 mm long), with constant width along its entire length, and with indistinct trace of a pterostigmal crossvein at distal 1/3; pterostigma starting
0.3 mm
(slightly more than 3.0× pterostigmal width) beyond termination of ScP, proximally closed by a crossvein and distally closed by anterior veinlet of RA; RA distally bifurcated, with posterior branch continuous with its stem;
RP
with two short branches; MA with two branches, stem of MA proximally fused with MP; three radials cells and one distal cell present; MP with two long, distally bifurcated branches; one discoidal cell present; an oblique proximal mp-cua present; CuA distally bifurcated.
Abdomen length
2.6 mm
(measured without ovipositor) and
4.4 mm
(measured with ovipositor). Genitalia: Genital sclerites not clearly visible; ectoproct small; ovipositor
2.5 mm
long and
0.1 mm
thick, distally tapering, with digitiform gonostyli.
Type
material.
Holotype
EMTG
BA-002256: amber piece preserving a complete adult female of
R. burmana
, a thripid, and a midge; it is polished in the form of a subtriangular cabochon, slightly obscure, with length×width about 24.1×
16.2 mm
, height about
10.7 mm
.
Etymology.
The specific epithet “
burmana
” refers to the occurrence of the new species in the Early Cretaceous Burmese amber.
Remarks.
By having the narrow wings and pterostigmal crossvein, the new species somewhat resembles
D. engeli
sp. nov.
, but it can be distinguished from the latter species by the narrowly prolonged clypeus and the shape of
RP
fork.
FIGURE 5.
Rhynchoraphidia burmana
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype EMTG BA-002256. A. Habitus in dorsal view; B. Head and thorax in dorsal view; C. distal parts of left wings; D. Drawing of head and prothorax in dorsal view. Arrow indicating pterostigmal crossvein. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
FIGURE 6.
Rhynchoraphidia burmana
gen. et sp. nov.
A. Holotype EMTG BA-002256, drawing of right fore- and hindwing; B. same specimen, drawing of left fore- and hindwing. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.
Genus
Burmoraphidia
gen. nov.
(
Figs. 7–11
)
Type
species:
Burmoraphidia reni
sp. nov.
Diagnosis.
Minute size. Head ovoid, with portion posterior to compound eyes shorter than eye length and tapering caudad, and with clypeus slightly shorter than compound eye length; compound eyes large, ovoid; three small ocelli present on posterior half of head; antenna much longer than head plus prothorax, but shorter than entire body length, with ~40 flagellomeres. Pronotum slightly shorter than head, with a constant height along entire length. Pro- and mesotibiae swollen, but metatibia slender, tibial spurs present. Forewing: Costal space distinctly broadened (at widest point costal space ~1.5× width of pterostigma); pterostigma elongate, ~1/3× wing length, proximally diffused but not closed by a crossvein, starting proximad termination of Scp, with an oblique pterostigmal crossvein slightly distad midpoint of pterostigma, distally closed by a veinlet of RA; ScP terminating into C slightly distad wing midpoint; posterior veinlet of RA prolonged and zig-zagged with stem of RA;
RP
simple; two radial cells, one discal cell, and two discoidal cells present. Hindwing: Configuration of pterostigmal area same to that of male; stem of MA proximally fused with RA; an oblique proximal mp-cua present; two radial cells, one discal cell, and one discoidal cell present; A1 distally bifurcated and medially fused with A2 for a short distance, proximally forming an ovoid anal cell.
Etymology.
From
Burma
and
Raphidia
, a common genus-group name of
Raphidioptera
, in reference to the occurrence of the new genus from the mid Cretaceous Burmese amber. Gender: feminine.
Remarks.
The new genus differs from all other nanoraphidiine genera by the pterostigma with a pterostigmal crossvein and a diffuse base.