Eolepinotus zherikhini, HAKIM & HUANG & AZAR, 2021

HAKIM, MARINA, HUANG, DI-YING & AZAR, DANY, 2021, New fossil psocids from Cretaceous Siberian ambers (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha: Atropetae), Palaeoentomology 4 (2), pp. 186-198 : 192

Eolepinotus zherikhini sp. nov.

( Figs 6–8 )

Type material. Holotype specimen PIN 3603 /1, female, badly preserved but with enough morphological features for clear observation and identification ( Fig. 6 ). No syninclusion.

Etymology. Named after the late Professor Vladimir Zherikhin.

Locality and horizon. Timmerdyakh-Khaya, Yakutia, Russia, Timmerdyakh Formation, Cretaceous (Upper Cenomanian–Turonian).

Diagnosis. Head with dorsal suture well-defined, with anterior arms of frontal sutures; compound eyes bare; antennomeres without secondary annulations; micropterous; wings veinless and setose; pretarsal claws short, no preapical tooth, no pulvilli. Differential characters: forewings narrow and elongated (round and short in Eolepinotus pilosus ); tibia bearing sparse spines along its length.

Description. Head 0.60 mm wide; dorsal suture present, very well defined; anterior arms of frontal sutures visible ( Fig. 7A ). Ocelli absent. Compound eyes bare, as long as vertex. Both antennae incomplete, with at least 15–16 flagellomeres, no secondary annulations. Maxillary palpomeres four-segmented ( Fig. 7B ), second palpomere from base with two spurs in apical half, third palpomere with one spur apically, fourth palpomere with one thinner and shorter spur at 2/3 of length and a sensory field of short setae at apex. Labial palpomeres two-segmented. Lacinia not visible.

Thorax badly preserved, pronotum very setose; legs with thick femur in all legs; hind tibia bearing thin spines along its length ( Fig. 7C ); tarsi three-segmented; basal tarsomere with two rows of small spines; pretarsal claws short without preapical tooth and no pulvillus ( Fig. 7D ); wings micropterous, veinless ( Fig. 7E ); forewings setose, elongated and narrowed.

Abdomen partially destroyed and partially covered by debris. Female ovipositor with dorsal and ventral valvulae not visible, either reduced or absent; external valvulae clearly visible, elongated, setose ( Fig. 7F ). Subgenital plate setose, possibly weakly bilobed apically; paraprocts not visible.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Eolepinotus zherikhini sp. nov., holotype, female. A, Habitus, dorsal view. B, Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Eolepinotus zherikhini sp. nov., holotype, female. A, Details of head, dorsal view. B, Details of head, ventral view. C, Details of hind tibia. D, Details of pretarsal claw. E, Details of wings. F, Details of female terminalia. Scale bars: 0.2 mm for A–C, F; 0.3 mm for E; 0.05 mm for D.

FIGURE 8. Eolepinotus zherikhini sp. nov., holotype, female, drawings. A, Head. B, Maxillary and labial palpomeres. C, Hind leg. D, Pretarsal claw. E, Wings. F, Female terminalia. Scale bars: 0.2 mm for A–C, F; 0.3 mm for E; 0.05 mm for D.