Archiraphidia Handlirsch, 1910

Makarkin, Vladimir N. & Archibald, S. Bruce, 2014, A revision of the late Eocene snakeflies (Raphidioptera) of the Florissant Formation, Colorado, with special reference to the wing venation of the Raphidiomorpha, Zootaxa 3784 (4), pp. 401-444 : 420-421

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.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Pterostigma of Archiraphidia species. A – C, A. tumulata (Scudder, 1890): A, left wings. B, right forewing. C, right hind wing. D – F, A. tranquilla (Scudder, 1890): D, four wings of the holotype MCZ 446. E, four wings of MCZ 4137 (lectotype of A. eventa (Scudder, 1890 )); F, left wings of MCZ 253 (paralectotype of A. eventa). G, three wings of A.? somnolenta (Scudder, 1890). H, right forewing of A.? somnolenta. HW, hind wing; LFW, left forewing; RFW, right forewing. All wings are shown with apex to right and not to scale.

FIGURE 15. Archiraphidia tranquilla (Scudder, 1890) (lectotype of A. eventa (Scudder, 1890), MCZ 4137). Apex of abdomen (lateral view). gp 9, gonapophyses of segment 9 (hypovalva); gs 9, gonostyli of gonocoxites 9; gx 9, gonocoxites of segment 9; S 8, S 9, sternites 8 and 9; T 8, T 9, T 10, tergites 8 to 10. Scale bar = 400 µm.