First record of fossil psocodeans in copula from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
Author
Hakim, Marina
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Author
Azar, Dany
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China & Lebanese University, Faculty of Science II, Natural Sciences Department, Fanar - El-Matn, PO box 26110217, Lebanon
Author
Huang, Di-Ying
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-12-29
5396
1
74
93
https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/download/zootaxa.5396.1.13/52606
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.13
1175-5326
10441322
1CCB5F08-CD60-423D-9E32-91480A39465D
Burmempheria raruschaetae
Li, Wang & Yao, 2020
(
Figs 5
,
6
)
Additional material.
NIGP203383, mostly preserved, male (?) (
Fig. 5A, B
), no syninclusions; NIGP203384, abdomen badly preserved, male (
Fig. 5C, D
), syninclusions: vegetal remains (stellate hairs). The material is deposited at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing,
China
.
Description.
We add the following characters: flagellomeres with secondary annulations; second maxillary palpomere from base with conical sensillum (
Fig. 6A
); fore tibiae with two longer apical spines, middle and hind tibiae with three longer apical spines; genitalia (
Fig. 6B–C
) with two apical developed rod-like lobes, well-rounded apically, without setation, fused basally to tube-like structure (phallosome?) emerging from under setose and membranous structure (hypandrium?) with posterior edge relatively straight with indentation in middle, possible bulging near base and in between rod-like lobes (aedeagus?).
FIGURE 5.
Burmempheria raruschaetae
.
A
,
B
, Habitus of NIGP203383.
C
,
D
, Habitus of NIGP203384. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.
Remarks.
The diagnostic difference ‘tibiae lacking long spurs’ in
Burmempheria raruschaetae
and ‘tibiae covered with long and dense setae’ in
Burmempheria densuschaetae
is no longer valid as both possess two rows of strong tibial spines, long and clearly visible in the middle and hind legs. Similarly, we saw no significant differences—that are consistent and reliable—in the rest of the diagnostic characters (setae on the vertex, setae on the flagellomeres, shape of R
1
) once compared with the new material. However, specimen CNU-PSO-MA2019004 (
holotype
of
Burmempheria raruschaetae
) has both hind wings with the basi-radial cell three-angled (
vs.
four-angled in
holotype
of
Burmempheria densuschaetae
). Both additional specimens NIGP203383 and NIGP203384 also display this venation pattern in both pairs of their hind wings; this character appears potentially reliable. Therefore, we maintain the validity of
Burmempheria raruschaetae
instead of synonymising it with
Burmempheria densuschaetae
, until future studies and analyses can clarify the exact taxonomic value of this character.
As for the previous taxa, we note the likely presence of a conical sensillum basally on the second maxillary palpomere, and the occasional three apical spines on the tibiae (possibly on one hind leg) in the
holotype
. Meanwhile, our new material (NIGP203383 and
NIGP203384
) has the conical sensillum and the tibiae with two apical spines on the forelegs and three apical spines on middle and hind legs
.
FIGURE 6.
Burmempheria raruschaetae
, NIGP
203383.
A
, Sensillum on second maxillary palpomere.
B
,
C
, Details of genitalia. Scale bars = 0.05 mm for
A
, 0.1 mm for
B
,
C
.
As previously mentioned, the genitalia structures as observed in NIGP203383 were identified as female by
Li
et al.
(2020
, 2022). Another interpretation, as presented in the description, could be possible (refer to discussion section below).