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
Archiraphidia
Handlirsch, 1910
Archiraphidia
Handlirsch, 1910
: 103
;
Handlirsch
1920
–1921 [1921]: 255;
Cockerell & Custer 1925
: 295
;
Martynov 1925a
: 244
;
Carpenter 1936
: 145
;
Metzger 1960
: 41
;
Oswald 1990
: 160
(as a synonym of
Raphidia
);
Aspöck
et al.
1991
: 536
, 538, 665;
Engel 2002
: 21
(as a tentative synonym of
Raphidia
).
Type
species.
Inocellia tumulata
Scudder, 1890
, by monotypy (
Oswald 1990
).
Diagnosis.
Very small raphidiids (forewing <
10 mm
long). Both wings: relatively short ScP [long in
Megaraphidia
]; short, dark pterostigma in which incorporated branch of RA not or poorly visible [incorporated branch of RA clearly visible in
Megaraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
]. Forewing: additional crossvein 2b scp-r sometimes present [not detected in
Megaraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
]; MP strongly zigzagged [moderately zigzagged in
Megaraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
]; branches of CuA, MP short, not longer then width of
2doi
[distinctly longer than width of
2doi
in
Megaraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
].
Hind
wing:
doi
single [two in
Megaraphidia
,
Florissantoraphidia
gen. nov.
].
Species included.
Three species from Florissant,
Archiraphidia tumulata
,
A. tranquilla
(
Scudder, 1890
)
and
A.?
somnolenta
(
Scudder, 1890
)
. The latter assignment is preliminary.
Remarks.
This genus is characterized by its pterostigma appearing very dark (
Fig. 9
), and the incorporated pterostigmal RA branch being hardly detectable. The paler pterostigma in some wings, however, is probably due to poor preservation of pigmentation (
Figs 9
B, F). A branch of RA incorporated within the pterostigma is only detected in one wing—and then only poorly visible—however, we assume that is likely present in all of these, although await future specimens to strengthen this supposition.
The minute size and venation of this genus are most similar to those of the genus
Harraphidia
(forewing
5.5– 8.5 mm
long; see
Monserrat
& Papenberg 2006
). They share in particular a relatively short ScP; short pterostigma; 3ra-rp located within pterostigma; the same configuration of RA distad pterostigma in both wings; the presence of additional crossvein 2b scp-r; short branches of CuA and MP in the forewing; one
doi
in the hind wing. In extant
Raphidiidae
, the single
doi
is a generic feature only of
Harraphidia
, although this condition is known, rarely, in a few other species, where it is considered anomalous (see above). The additional crossvein 2b scp-r is also characteristic of only this genus (in extant Raphiididae).
Archiraphidia
may only be distinguished from
Harraphidia
in that MP+CuA never has the long stem characteristic of the latter. These genera are undoubtedly closely related, but the occurrence of this condition (i.e., MP+CuA) and the poorly preserved male terminalia in specimens of
Archiraphidia
(the senior name) prevent their synonymization. Moreover, although the male terminalia in these genera are rather similar in their general appearance, the ectoproct of all
Harraphidia
species is clearly caudally elongate, whereas that of
Archiraphidia
clearly not (
Fig. 15
). Also, 1r-m in the hind wing of
Harraphidia
is crossvein-like, but this is not detected in
Archiraphidia
due to poor preservation.