Cretopiesma suukyiae, Grimaldi & Engel, 2008

Grimaldi, David A. & Engel, Michael S., 2008, An Unusual, Primitive Piesmatidae (Insecta: Heteroptera) in Cretaceous Amber from Myanmar (Burma), American Museum Novitates 3611 (1), pp. 1-20 : 3-7

Cretopiesma suukyiae , new species

Figures 1–3

Piesmatidae sp.: Grimaldi et al., 2002: 41, fig. 25e.

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (see above).

DESCRIPTION: Based on unique female specimen; small, body flattened, length

1.45 mm. Head: Wide, inserted into prothorax up to ventral margin of eyes; dorsally areolate; prognathous. Eyes extremely convex, bare of setulae; width across eyes 0.36 mm. Ocelli absent, typical of submacropterous forms. Clypeus long, protrudent, tip extended to level of middle of 3rd antennomere. Clypeus with median carina, extending from tip to middle of frons. Jugal appendices absent. Ventral surface of head areolate. Bucculae short, extend- ed from approximately middle of clypeus to anterior margin of preocular tubercles. Pair of large, conical preocular tubercles present, tips extend nearly to distal end of first antennomere. Antenna with four antennomeres; two basal antennomeres short and wide, relative lengths: (1) 1.0: (2) 1.1: (3) 2.9: (4) 1.5. Antennomere 3 long and thin, antennomere 4 fusiform, with dense, long setulae at apex. Antennal insertion between preocular tubercle and clypeus. Rostrum extended to level of fore coxae (segmentation obscure).

Thorax: Pronotum broad (length at middle 0.28 mm, greatest width 0.52 mm), explanate; trapezoidal in shape, with lateral margins diverging caudad, posterior margin slightly concave (vs. slightly convex or flat). Pronotum areolate over entire dorsal surface, with two large paramedial carinae extended full length of pronotum. Carinae tapered in thickness and slightly divergent caudad; anteriorly fused with thick transverse carina on anterior margin of pronotum. Pronotum with pair of callosities lateral to carinae and in slightly recessed areas. Mesoscutellum very large, 0.31 mm in length, 0.37 mm width; dorsal surface completely areolate, with apical margin broadly rounded. Posterior half of scutellum with paramedial pair of rounded depressions. All sternites smooth, not areolate or punctate. Prosternum with very broad rostral groove; no mesosternal groove. Propleural cavities present, just anterior to fore coxae. Metasternum very broad; no scent gland channel present, but apparently with small ostiole (scent gland opening?) anterolateral to metacoxa. All coxae widely separated in each pair. Legs short, femur thickest podite; all podites devoid of spines, but femur and tibia covered with numerous, fine tubercles. Tarsi with two short tarsomeres, apical tarsomere slightly longer; pretarsal claws apparently simple, rather long; pulvilli large, slender, flat, slightly shorter than claws.

Wings: Hemelytra short (submacropterous form?), apices extend to apex of abdomen but not beyond; length 0.76 mm, greatest width 0.28 mm. Apex of hemelytron broadly round- ed, not narrowed. Corium occupies approximately half the hemelytral surface; entire corium areolate, except veins. Veins thickened, heavily sclerotized. Vein C short, occupies 2/3 basal half of hemelytron. Sc very short, branches off main stem of Cu, meets C (not R+M), length ca. 0.25X wing length. Two thick transverse veins present, one connecting apex of Sc and Cu (near apex of clavus); another a slightly V-shaped crossvein near middle of wing connecting C and Cu. Clavus narrow, apex very slender and acute, membrane areolate; distinct commissure between clavus and rest of corium. Membrane of hemelytra with fine reticulations, four faint longitudinal veins with apices evanescent and not meeting distal margin of wing. Membrane veins interpreted here as R, M, Cu, and PCu; latter two veins convergent but not actually intersecting. Hind wing unapparent or absent.

Abdomen: Flat, broad; length 0.85 mm, width 0.55 mm. Ventral trichobothria not apparent, or absent. Spiracles situated dorsally on paratergites II–V. Tergite VII with numerous small spicules. Pair of spiracles on segment VII situated on small tubercles. Paratergites VIII a pair of small lobes flanking paratergites IX, which are apicalmost appendages. Paratergites IX apparently flat, with outer margins finely dentate. Sternite VII divided, pair of gonocoxopodite 2 visible beneath sternite VII,> -shaped.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype (unique specimen), female, AMNH Bu 958, from Kachin Province, northern Myanmar, near the town of Tanai in the Hukwang Valley . In the amber fossil collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History.

ETYMOLOGY: Matronym in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma, the 1991 laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Suu Kyi has spent 18 years isolated in house confinement (from 1989–95, 2000–02, and 2003 to present) for her promotion of democracy in Myanmar. It is fitting that a Burmese species, seemingly delicate but which has beautifully endured for so long, be named in her honor.

Figures

Fig. 1. Photomicrographs of holotype (AMNH Bu958) of Cretopiesma suukyiae, new genus and species, with dorsal habitus in center. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Detail of corium. C. Detail of wing membrane. D. Protarsus. E. Tip of scutellum. F. Terminalia, ventral view. A, B, C, E, F to same scale.

Fig. 2. Dorsal habitus of holotype of Cretopiesma suukyiae, new genus and species.

Fig. 3. Details of holotype of Cretopiesma suukyiae, new genus and species. A. Ventral view of head and thorax. B. Apex of abdomen (ventral view). C. Mesothoracic tarsus.