Palerasnitsynus

Wichard, Wilfried, Ross, Emma & Ross, Andrew J., 2011, Palerasnitsynus gen. n. (Trichoptera, Psychomyiidae) from Burmese amber, ZooKeys 130, pp. 323-330 : 325

Palerasnitsynus sp. female Figs 4-5

Material.

Female imago in Burmese amber, late Albian, Myanmar; deposited in National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh; specimen no. G.2010.20.35 (ex Scott Anderson Coll.).

Description.

Length of female (tip of head to tip of abdomen) 2.7 mm; forewing length 2.57 mm.

Head: Length 0.23 mm, width 0.47mm; filiform antennae each with 28 segments (including basal antennal segment), basal antennal segment twice as wide as other segments and twice as long as first segment; eyes large and bulbous, ocelli absent; maxillary palps 5-segmented, terminal segment flexible, annulated, and long (0.31mm), and nearly three times longer than each of the other segments (of similar length to each other); labial palps 3-segmented, also with long, flexible and annulated terminal segment.

Thorax: Mesoscutum with setal warts. Forelegs not easy to see; however, each may have 2 short spurs at end of tibia; mid legs each with 2 long spurs at end of tibia, 1 long preapical spur and possibly the base of a second; hind leg with 2 long spurs at end of tibia and 2 long preapical spurs. Tibial spurs: 2?/4?/4.

Wings with short fringe hairs on the anterior margin and long fringe hairs on posterior margin. Left forewing length 2.57mm; Sc dark and simple, terminating about three-quarters of length of anterior margin; R1 simple; Rs branching twice, first branch originating at mid-wing, R2+3 simple, R3+4 branched (= fork II); discoidal cell (Dc) present (crossvein faint); M branching twice, first branch originating at mid-wing, M1+2 simple, M3+4 branched (= fork IV); Cu branching distally (= fork V); anal veins not visible. Left hindwing apex obscured; Sc dark and simple, terminating about three-quarters of length of anterior margin; R1 simple, Rs branching once; crossvein r present, discoidal cell present; R4+5 connected to M1+2 by the crossvein r-m; M branching twice, M1+2 ending with short apical fork III, M3+4 simple; Cu branching once (= fork V), connected to M by the oblique crossvein m-cu closing thyridial cell apically; anal veins not visible. Forewings each with apical forks II, IV, and V; hind wings each with apical forks III and V.

Genitalia: Length 0.3mm. Typical long and simple ovipositor present; narrow cleft medio-ventrally and a pair of short apodemes apically.

Remarks.

Due to the characteristic features (ocelli absent; maxillary palps 5-segmented and with terminal segment flexible and annulated; mesoscutum with one pair of setal warts; and tibial spurs probably 2/4/4), the female probably belongs to the Psychomyiidae . Due to the absence of forewing apical fork III, the specimen belongs to the genus Palerasnitsynus gen.n. The female and Palerasnitsynus ohlhoffi sp. n. agree in the forewing venation and differ in the hind wing; the discoidal cells are closed and short forks III are present in the female hind wings, but both traits are absent in Palerasnitsynus ohlhoffi sp. n. There is no evidence to identify this female specimen as Palerasnitsynus ohlhoffi sp. n.