Early Eocene snakeflies (Raphidioptera) of western North America from the Okanagan Highlands and Green River Formation
Author
Archibald, S. Bruce
0000-0002-4397-2497
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V 5 A 1 S 6, Canada. https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 4397 - 2497 & Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States of America & Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V 8 W 9 W 2, Canada
Author
Makarkin, Vladimir N.
Federal Scientific Centre of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivo-
text
Zootaxa
2021
2021-04-01
4951
1
41
79
journal article
7413
10.11646/zootaxa.4951.1.2
d7a40f10-4145-499c-97be-3f9bc5088d2f
1175-5326
4655625
557825A0-714A-426A-917F-1C9AB7372C30
Megaraphidia ootsa
sp. nov.
Figs 3
,
4
,
10C, D
Type material.
Holotype
RBCM
P1556
, found by unknown person on an unknown date, deposited in the
RBCM
collections. A complete female in lateral aspect with four overlapping wings.
Type
locality and horizon.
Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park
, near
Smithers
,
British Columbia
,
Canada
; early
Eocene
(Ypresian)
.
Etymology.
From the Ootsa Lake Group shale within which the
holotype
is preserved (specific epithet is a noun).
FIGURE 3.
Megaraphidia ootsa
sp. nov.
, holotype RBCM P1556, specimen as preserved. Scale bars = 5 mm.
FIGURE 4.
Wing venation of
Megaraphidia ootsa
sp. nov.
, holotype RBCM P1556. A, right forewing, B, left forewing; C, right hind wing; D, left hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).
Diagnosis.
May be distinguished from other species of
Megaraphidia
by head clearly narrowed posteriorly (cuneate) [broad, not cuneate in
M. hopkinsi
,
M. antiquissima
]; ovipositor relatively long (0.34 body length) [
0.28 in
M. antiquissima
]; two intraradial crossveins in both wings [one in other species].
Description.
Female. Body length (without ovipositor) approximately
15 mm
. Head blackish, clearly narrowed posteriorly; antennae with ≥38 flagellomeres. Prothorax blackish, narrow, relatively short, approximately
2.5 mm
long (0.17 body length). Mesothorax, metathorax poorly preserved, blackish. Legs pale, covered with dense, rather short setae; third tarsomeres strongly bifurcate. Abdomen with blackish tergites, sternites; 8th, 9th tergites extend laterally for relative short distance; ectoproct relatively large. Ovipositor relatively long, approximately
5.1 mm
(0.34 body length).
Forewing approximately
12 mm
long,
3.5 mm
wide (length/width: 3.43). Costal space relatively narrow (two times wider than subcostal space), widest at 1/5 length (basal-most portion obscured); eight preserved subcostal veinlets (probably ≥10), all simple, relatively closely spaced. ScP long, terminating on costal margin notably distad crossvein 2ra-rp; length from termination of ScP to pterostigma approximately half length of pterostigma (measured along C). Subcostal space broad, with basal crossvein 1scp-r slightly proximad fork of M; distal crossvein 2scp-r (basal margin of pterostigma) markedly incurved (joins C proximad basad joining RA). Pterostigma rhombic (distal margin oblique, angled opposite to basal), relatively short, strongly pigmented. Two RA branches detected (branch presumed within pterostigma not discernible): one forming distal margin of pterostigma; other distad this (simple in right wing, forked in left wing). Stem of RA simple in right wing, forked in left wing, entering margin well before wing apex. RA space with two crossveins forming two radial cells: 2ra-rp located well proximad termination of ScP; 3ra-rp located in distal part of pterostigma along RA (at approximately 2.45 wing length), with five pectinate branches: RP1 deeply forked, its anterior branch simple, posterior forked once; other branches once or twice forked. Two intraradial crossveins: rp1-rp
2 in
right wing between RP2, RP1, in left wing between anterior trace of RP, RP1; other between RP2, RP3. Three crossveins between RP, MA: 1r-m, 2r-m connecting stem of RP, stem of MA; 3r-m connecting RP1, anterior branch of MA. M joined with CuA for short distance (seen on left wing, obscured on right wing); forked well proximad origin of RP. MA deeply dichotomously forked twice (one branch in each right and left wings further shallowly forked). MP zigzagged with four simple, pectinate branches. Two intramedian crossveins forming two
doi
; basal
doi
slightly shorter than distal. Basal parts of Cu not visible. Anterior trace of CuA strongly zigzagged, fused with MP for short distance (forming part of posterior side of basal
doi
), with two pectinate long simple branches (left wing) or one deeply forked branch (right wing). CuP simple. Crossvein icu between CuA, CuP long. AA1 rather deeply forked; small portion of AA2 visible.
Hind wing approximately
11 mm
long, approximately
3.4 mm
wide (length/width: 3.24). Costal space relatively broad (incompletely preserved); four preserved subcostal veinlets (right wing) simple, widely spaced. ScP long; length from termination of ScP to pterostigma shorter than length of pterostigma. One crossvein detected in subcostal space (2scp-r, forming basal margin of pterostigma), slightly incurved. Pterostigma nearly equal in length with that in forewing. RA with two to three branches detected (branch presumed within pterostigma not discernible), branch forming distal margin of pterostigma straight; one (right wing) to two (left wing) simple, slightly curved branches distad pterostigma. Three crossveins between RA, RP: 1ra-rp located slightly distad 2r-m; 2ra-rp located notably proximad termination of ScP (left wing, but only slightly proximad in right wing); 3ra-rp located in distal half of pterostigma along RA. RP originating at approximately 0.36 wing length. Anterior trace of RP forked apically, with four branches, two proximad 3ra-rp, two distad. RP1 deeply forked, its anterior branch simple, posterior forked once; most other branches rather deeply forked. Two intraradial crossveins: one connecting stem of RP, RP1; other between RP2, RP3. Three crossveins between R, M: 1r-m very long, subparallel to R (basal portion obscured); 2r-m connecting stems of RP, MA slightly proximad 1ra-rp; 3r-m connecting RP1, anterior branch of MA. M forked close to or slight basad level of origin of RP. MA deeply dichotomously forked twice. MP: anterior trace zigzagged, with four simple pectinate branches (basal-most branch in left wing forked). Two intramedian crossveins forming two
doi
; basal
doi
markedly shorter than distal. One crossvein (2m-cu) detected between M, Cu straight, proximad 1im. CuA with two (left wing) to three (right wing) simple branches. Small portions of CuP preserved.
Remarks.
In this specimen, light areas of the head, thorax, and abdomen (
Fig. 3
) surely do not represent colouration of the living insect, but were most likely caused by post-mortem damage.