Cretoneuronema jarzembowskii, LIU & CHEN & ZHUO, 2022

LIU, XING-YUE, CHEN, ZU-LUAN & ZHUO, DE, 2022, Cretoneuronema gen. nov. (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae), a new brown lacewing genus from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, Palaeoentomology 5 (3), pp. 226-232 : 229-230

Cretoneuronema jarzembowskii sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Type material. Holotype. BXAM BA-NEU-010 (amber piece preserving an incomplete adult of C. jarzembowskii sp. nov.; it is polished in the form of a nearly elliptical cabochon, with length 13.0 mm, width 11.0 mm, and height 3.5 mm), Lowermost Cenomanian , Tanai Village, Hukawng Valley, Myanmar.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Dr EdmundA.Jarzembowski for his tremendous contributions to fossil insects, including Neuroptera .

Diagnosis. Same as for the genus. Additional diagnostic characters of species: small body size (forewing length 5.5 mm); presence of dark markings on forewings, particularly including a series of regularly spaced markings along wing margin, and a broad marking covering basal forks of MA and MP1.

Description. Head and prothorax not completely preserved. Meso- and metathorax broad, mesothorax slightly larger than metathorax.Forelegs detached from the body, overall densely setose; tibia slightly swollen, with a pair of tibial spurs; tarsomeres 1–4 gradually shortened in turn, but tarsomere 5 equal in length to tarsomere 4; a pair of simple pretarsal claws and a short arolium present. Mid leg similarly structured to foreleg. Hind leg similarly structured, but with tibia much longer and not swollen.

Forewing length 5.5 mm, width 2.8 mm. Broadly ovoid.A complex marking pattern present ( Fig. 1 ); a series of regularly spaced dark markings along wing margin; many small dark stripes present along longitudinal veins; a broad dark marking present at proximal 1/4, covering basal forks of MA and MP1. Trichosors present almost all around wing margin, except basal part of posterior margin. Costal space ( Fig. 3 ) very broad, dilated basally. Twelve basal subcostal veinlets distally forked, 11 distal subcostal veinlets simple, two distal-most subcostal veinlets distally forked. Humeral veinlet recurrent, pectinately branched, with nine branches (basal third and distal four branches simple, remaining branches distally forked). ScA present. No crossvein in costal space. ScP and RA distally fused ( Fig. 2A ), with six branches, five of which are forked distally. Two subcostal crossveins (i. e., 1scp-r, and 2scp-r) present. RA space slightly wider than subcostal space basally. RP (ORB2) and MA (ORB1) separated from R near wing base, and closely spaced with each other; no other RP branches separated from R. RP (ORB2) with five branches proximad outer gradate series, posterior branch deeply forked. MA (ORB1) deeply forked, with three (left forewing) or four (right forewing) branches directed anteriorly. MP basally not fused with R, forked distad origin of MA (ORB1); MP1 deeply forked, with three long branches; MP2 simple for most part, with a short distal fork. Cu diverging into CuA and CuP close to wing base; CuA pectinately branched, with five forked branches; CuP rather deeply forked, both branches with marginal fork. A1 rather deeply forked, both branches distally trifurcate. AA2 rather deeply forked, with four branches; each branch with marginal fork. A3 short, branching condition obscure. Three gradate series of crossveins posterior to RA (right wing). First (basal) series consists of four crossveins: 1mp-cu, 1icu, 1cu-a1, and 1a1-a2. Second (inner) series consists of 14 crossveins, from RA to CuA. Third (outer) series complete, with 22 crossveins, from RA to AA1. Several additional crossveins present distad basal gradate series, or proximad inner gradate series, including pre-3ra-rp (= pre-3ir1); five closely spaced intermedial crossveins ( Fig. 2C ) present around basal forking point of MP1 (present only in right forewing, probably due to aberrant development).

Hind wing length 4.5 mm, width 2.0 mm. Generally ovoid, but slightly tapering distad. Almost immaculate. Humeral plate well developed. Trichosors present along distal half of wing margin. Costal space ( Fig. 3 ) narrow, slightly dilated distally, with most subcostal veinlets simple, except distal two forked. ScP and RA distally fused, ScP+RA with two distally forked branches. No subcostal crossvein detected. RA space slightly wider than subcostal space; crossvein 1ra-rp not detected. Eight branches of RP present before outer gradate series, posterior-most branch largely fused with MA. Basal sinuous MA ( Fig. 2B ) long, connecting RP1 and MP. MP forked much distad origin of RP1; MP1 and MP2 nearly parallel for most length; MP1 with terminal fork; MP2 trifurcated distally. Cu diverging into CuA and CuP near wing base; CuA pectinate, with five distally forked branches; CuP with a marginal fork. A1 partly preserved, distally forked. Second (inner) gradate series consists of four crossveins (from RP2 to CuA). Third (outer) with five crossveins (from RA to RP4).

Abdomen largely not preserved.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cretoneuronema jarzembowskii gen. et sp. nov., holotype BXAM BA-NEU-010. Photographs of habitus. A, Dorsal view. B, Ventral view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Cretoneuronema jarzembowskii gen. et sp. nov., holotype BXAM BA-NEU-010. Photographs. A, Antero-distal parts of right fore- and hind wings, showing fusion between ScP and RA (indicated by arrows). B, Basal part of right hind wing. C, Basal fork of forewing MP, showing closely spaced crossveins (indicated by arrows). D, Right protibia. E, Left protibia. F, Left mesotibia. G, Left protarsus. ts, tibial spur. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (A, B); 0.5 mm (C–G).

FIGURE 3. Cretoneuronema jarzembowskii gen. et sp. nov., holotype BXAM BA-NEU-010, drawings of wing venation. A, Right forewing. B, Right hind wing. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.