Ordralfabetix sirophatanis, Szwedo, Jacek, 2011

Szwedo, Jacek, 2011, Ordralfabetix sirophatanis gen. et sp. n. — the first Lophopidae from the Lowermost Eocene Oise amber, Paris Basin, France (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha), Zootaxa 2822, pp. 52-60 : 53-55

Ordralfabetix sirophatanis sp. n.

( Figs. 1−14 )

Diagnosis. As for the genus as it is the only included species. In addition: cell C1 very long, closed with apical line veinlet ir; cell C3 little shorter than cell C5.

Description. Head with compound eyes slightly wider (about 2.98 mm, head, pronotum and mesonotum measurements estimated from the preserved portions) than pronotum (about 2.45 mm). Vertex slightly wider at base (about 1.43 mm) than long in midline (about 1.32 mm). Frons at lateral margin about 2.03 mm long. Compound eyes bulky, with postocular callus well developed. Ocelli small, close to the anterior lower portion of compound eye. Antennal cavity elevated, scapus short, pedicel about 0.33 mm long, elongately round.

Pronotum shorter in midline than length of vertex (about 0.63 mm), probably with anterolateral (postocular) carinae developed; posterior margin almost straight. Mesonotum longer (about 3 mm) than combined length of head and pronotum, with median carina and lateral carinae; lateral carinae reaching posterior margin of mesonotum, in anterior portion curved and converging anteriad, connected with median carina. Tegulae about twice as wide as long.

Tegmen 17.9 mm long, 5.03 mm wide, elongate, costal margin curved at base then almost straight, apical portion oblongly elongate, postclaval margin long, shallowly concave, posteroapical angle indistinct, apex of tegmen rounded, anteroapical angle widely rounded. Clavus short, not reaching half of tegmen length. Costal margin thickened at base, short costal carina developed, costal area narrow at base, little wider in apical portion, with apex exceeding tip of clavus, intersected by few oblique veinlets. Basal cell elongate, about three times as long as wide, arculus relatively long.

Stem ScR leaving basal cell little anteriad of stem M, forked at level of first veinlet cup-pcu on clavus, well basad of stems M and CuA forkings; branch ScRA forked basad of claval apex, branch ScRA1 long, sigmoid, reaching Pc+CP basad of apex of costal area, apicad of claval apex. Branch RA forked basad of apical line of veinlets, with 13 terminals reaching apical margin of tegmen. Branch RP forked slightly basad of branch ScRA forking, forked again basad of apical line of veinlets, reaching apical margin of tegmen with 6 terminals, terminals of RA and RP slightly curved to posterior margin of tegmen. Stem M forked apicad of stem ScR forking, basad of stem CuA forking, basad of claval veins Pcu and A1 junction. Branch M1+2 forked apicad of branch M3+4 forking, both branches forked basad of apical line, reaching tegmen apical margin with 8 terminals, posterior terminal of M3+4 branch forked apicad of apical line of veinlets. The terminals of RP and M subparallel after oblique apical line of veinlets. Stem CuA forked basad of claval veins junction, slightly apicad of stem M branching. Branch CuA1 forked basad of apical line of veinlets; branch CuA2 forked at level of claval apex; posterior terminal of branch CuA2 forked apicad of apical line of veinlets; CuA reaching apex of tegmen with 7 terminals. Claval veins Pcu and A1 fused slightly apicad of half of tegmen length, apicad of stem CuA forking; fused veins Pcu+A1 reaching posterior margin of clavus slightly basad of claval apex. Clavus narrowly open, vein CuP not entering claval plica. A few ir veinlets basad of apical line, 5 preapical veinlets r-m, a few im veinlets, 2 preapical veinlets m-cua, a few icua veinlets; a few indistinct veinlets cua-cup; a few (7) claval veinlets cup-pcu and cup-pcua between CuP and Pcu and Cu and Pcu+A1. Cell C1 very long and narrow, closed by apical veinlet ir. Cell C3 a little shorter than cell C5.

Wing shorter than tegmen (about 10.29 mm). Stem ScR forked basad of stem M forking, branch ScRA single, branch RP with three terminals. Stem M forked a little basad of veinlet r-m, branch M1+2 forked in apical portion, little apicad of posterior RP forking. Stem CuA forked basad of half of hind wing length, branch CuA1 forked again basad of stem ScR forking. Veinlet r-m long, oblique, apicad of stem ScR forking, a little apicad of stem M forking. Veinlet m-cua oblique, basad of stem M forking, a little apicad of branch CuA1 forking.

Etymology. Specific epithet is derived from proto-Celtic word cores ‘siro’ - long and ‘phatano’–wing, and refers to the length of tegmen.

Age and occurrence. Lowermost Eocene (Ypressian, c. 55-53 Mya), Oise amber, Paris Pasin, France.

Material. Holotype, PA 2378, deposited in Department d’Entomologie, Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. Impression of left tegmen and fragments of head, pronotum and clavus of right tegmen and left hind wing, tip of tegmen partly covered with amber layer.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 2. Ordralfabetix sirophatanis gen. sp. n. 1 — Anterior portion of the body; 2 — Lateral portion of had capsule. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 3 − 4. Ordralfabetix sirophatanis gen. sp. n. 3 — Tegmen; 4 — Preserved portion of hind wing. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 5 − 8. Ordralfabetix sirophatanis gen. sp. n. Holotype PA 2738. 5 — General view; 6 — General view, transmitted light; 7 — Anterior portion of body; 8 — Anterior portion of body, oblique view.

FIGURES 9 − 14. Ordralfabetix sirophatanis gen. sp. n. SEM images. 9 — Head capsule, internal view with base, scape and pedicel of antenna visible; 10 — Anterior portion of body; 11 — Basal portion of tegmen; 12 — Apical portion of precostal field and RA branches; 13 — Nodal and apical line areas of tegmen, exposed portion; 14 — Hind wing.