The oldest records of Polyxenida (Myriapoda, Diplopoda): new discoveries from the Cretaceous ambers of Lebanon and France
Author
Duy-Jacquemin, Monique Nguyen
Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique et Évolution, Arthropodes, CP 53, 61 rue Buffon, F- 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) monguyen @ mnhn. fr
monguyen@mnhn.fr
Author
Azar, Dany
Lebanese University, Faculty of Science II, Biology Department, BP 26110217 Fanar-Matn (Lebanon) and Department, Saint-Joseph University, Campus of Sciences and Technology, Mar Roukos (Mkalles), BP 11 - 1514 Beirut (Lebanon) azar @ mnhn. fr
azar@mnhn.fr
text
Geodiversitas
2004
26
4
631
641
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.4665318
1638-9395
4665318
Libanoxenus hammanaensis
n. sp.
(
Figs 3
;
4
)
TYPE MATERIAL
. —
Holotype
: adult specimen number 633, Azar collection, provisionally deposited in the
MNHN
.
ETYMOLOGY. — After Hammana, the
type
locality.
TYPE
LOCALITY AND
TYPE
HORIZON
. —
Mdeirij
/
Hammana
locality,
Caza of Baabda
,
Mouhafazit Jabal Loubnan
,
Central
Lebanon
;
Early Cretaceous, Valanginian-Hauterivian to
lower Aptian
(135- 125 million years). The amber piece is mounted on a microscope slide in
Canada
balsam medium
.
DIAGNOSIS. — As for genus.
DESCRIPTION
Adult (
Figs 3
;
4
A-J)
The trunk of the
holotype
is open over all its length along the axis of symmetry, hence the tergites are not seen entirely.
Measurements.
Body length =
2.50 mm
; penicil length =
0.30 mm
; head trichomes length =
0.10 mm
; total length =
2.90 mm
.
Head.
Eight ocelli (
Fig. 4A
). Left antenna with eight articles (
Fig. 4A
). Length to diameter ratio of the sixth antennal article = 1.80. Only the end of one sensillum basiconicum is visible on articles VI and VII (
Fig. 4B
); some setiform sensilla are seen on article III, V, VI and VII; right antenna with four articles, the article V is broken. Labrum with numerous small setae (
Fig. 4C
). Outer right palp of gnathochilarium with 12 or 13 sensilla (
Fig. 4D
); it is more than twice as long as the diameter of the middle palp.
FIG. 3. —
Libanoxenus hammanaensis
n. gen., n. sp.
, holotype adult body length: 2.90 mm (633), Azar collection, dorsal view.
Trunk.
The tergal trichomes (seen only on the lateral part of tergites), are short (
Fig. 4E, F
); the longer lateral trichomes of tergite reach
120 to 130 µm
while in the middle of the tergite the trichomes measure
50 to 53 µm
. They seem to be arranged in two rows: one anterior row with trichomes directed anteriad and one posterior row with trichomes directed caudal (
Fig. 4F
). One clearly visible seta on tarsus II (
Fig. 4G, I
), nude setae (
Fig. 4H
) observed on other article (coxa, trochanter, prefemur, femur and tibia). Telotarsus with clearly visible poste- rior lamellate process longer than claw (
Fig. 4G
). Dorsal face of telson with an anterior row including three to four visible barbate trichomes. Telson is not of
Polyxenus
and
Propolyxenus
type
(latter with trichomes ended by multiple hooks:
Fig. 4K
); trichomes of caudal penicil with three or four aligned hooks (
Fig. 4J
).
French amber