Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard, Gröhn & Seredszus, 2009

Wichard, Wilfried, Wedmann, Sonja & Weiterschan, Thomas, 2016, Spongillaflies (Neuroptera, Sisyridae) in Baltic amber, Zootaxa 4158 (1), pp. 117-125 : 121-124

Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard, Gröhn & Seredszus, 2009

Figs. 3–4

Holotype. Female, embedded in Eocene Baltic amber amber, deposited in the Geologisch-Paläontologisches Museum of the University of Hamburg, Inv.-No.: GPIMH 4522 (ex coll. Gröhn 6997).

Additional description. Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard et al., 2009 was described on base of a female and is now re-described in consideration of the male genitalia of two new male specimens, described as:

Paratype 1: Male, embedded in Eocene Baltic amber, deposited in coll. W. Wichard, well preserved, in lateral view male genitalia partially covered with a white reflecting air film (verlumt).

Paratype 2: Male, embedded in Eocene Baltic amber, deposited in coll. T. Weiterschan, coll-no. 1380, well preserved, male genitalia in lateral view.

Diagnosis. Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard et al., 2009 comes with the traits of the genus Paleosisyra and differs from P. m i no r n. sp. by the coxopodits which are elongate and digitiform, slightly curved ventrad. Compared with the description of the “long” coxopodits of P. eocenica Nel et al., 2003 the elongate and digitiform coxopodits of P. electrobaltica do not currently allow a significant differentiation. In the forewing of P. electrobaltica RP is 4-branched. The apical cross-veins are arranged in a more or less aligned outer gradate series. CuA is running to the wing margin with 5-6 terminal branches and finally a terminal fork. In the hindwing the sinusoid cross-vein rpma-mp originates basally from MP and enters RP+MA apically close to the dichotomous branch. The residual distance to the dichotomous branch is a little longer than in P. eocenica and P. minor and distinctly shorter than in the Cretaceous Prosisyrina sukachevae .

Description. Head ( Fig. 3 a, 4a): Antenna filamentous, about two-thirds of the length of the forewings. Scapus distinctly larger than the other segments; pedicellus smaller, basally narrow and distally globular. The following 36 flagellomeres slightly longer than wide and approximately cylindrical. Maxillary palp 5-segmented, with first, second and fourth segments shorter than the third; terminal segment triangular in dorsal view, twice as long as the third, broadest at base, narrowed and tapered at apex. Labial palps with third terminal segment enlarged, flattened, triangle shaped, the second segment smaller than the terminal and the narrow first segments.

Forewing ( Fig. 3 b): Length 4.5 (male)–5 (female) mm; membrane hyaline; costal area widened, costal crossveins all simple, about 29 cross-veins before the apical fusion between Sc and RA; subcostal area between Sc and RA with a basal cross-vein, sc-ra, below the bifurcation of RA and RP+MA; then followed by the separating of RP+MA in RP and MA. RP is 4-branched, RP4, RP3, RP2 and RP1 separating in a row from RP, all branches apically with short terminal forks. MA simple, divided apically into several terminal branches; MP forking midway into two branches MP1+2 and MP3+4, both divided apically into short terminal branches. CuA and CuP separated at wing base; CuA running to margin with 5-6 terminal branches and a terminal fork; CuP simple. Anal veins (1A, 2A, 3A) all simple and ending in short terminal forks at wing margin. Forewing with basal (sc-ra), inner, middle and outer cross-vein gradate series. It is noteworthy that the wing venation is highly variable, in particular the cross-veins vary in presence and location and e.g. MP is incomplete on the right forewing of the female holotype ( Fig. 3 b).

Hindwing ( Fig. 4 a): Length about 3.8 mm (male); membrane hyaline. Costal cross-veins simple and numerous before the apical fusion of Sc and RA; subcostal area between Sc and RA with basal cross-vein sc-ra. At wing base the stem of R is hypothetically fused with MA along a short distance; following the dichotomous branch with RA and RP+MA. Sinusoid cross-vein rpma-mp originating basally of MP and entering apically RP+MA, thereafter MA separating from RP. RP is 3-branched; RP3 and RP1+2 separating in a row from RP; RP1+2 dichotomously branched into RP1 and RP2, all branches apically with short terminal forks. MA and MP simple, divided apically into several terminal branches. CuA with terminal branches, CuP simple. Anal veins (1A, 2A, 3A) simple, running separately to anal margin. Apical cross-veins forming an outer gradate series.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 b, c): The outer genital structures are poorly preserved, partially covered by a white film (verlumt). The dorsal ectoproct (e) bulblike in lateral view. Gonocoxite (gx9) elongate, digitiform, at apex rounded, slightly curved medioventrad. Ninth sternite (S9) slightly sclerotized and slightly pre-bulged, in lateral view. Outer male genitalia loosely hairy; setae at ninth sternite longer than setae at ectoproct and gonocoxite.

Female genitalia: Tenth tergite dorsally forming a small and sclerotized ectoproct. Ninth tergit, in lateral view, bulky and rounded, at its base broad, apically slightly tapered, bearing the gonapophysis lateralis, which is elongate and at apex pointed, strongly curved dorsad. Ventrally the subgenital plate formed by two parallel slim plates.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard et al., 2009 (female holotype, deposited in the Geologisch-Paläontologisches Museum of the University of Hamburg, Inv. - No.: GPIMH 4522). a—female in dorsal view, forewing length 5 mm. b—drawing of forewing, scale bar = 1 mm, labelling see material and methods.

FIGURE 4. Paleosisyra electrobaltica Wichard et al., 2009 (male paratypes). a—male, paratype no. 1, deposited in coll. W. Wichard, ventrolateral view, forewing length 4.5 mm. b—male genitalia, paratype no. 1, deposited in coll. W. Wichard. cmale genitalia, paratype no. 2, deposited in coll. T. Weiterschan.