Carmenelectra shehuggme Evenhuis

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2013, New microbombyliids (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) from Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers, with notes on previously described amber species, Zootaxa 3731 (3), pp. 371-380 : 377-378

Carmenelectra shehuggme Evenhuis , new species

( Figs. 14 , 17 )

Types. Holotype female from Ukraine: exact locality unknown, N. 957, embedded at the surface of the preparation in a heavily crazed, polished, dark amber-colored piece, subtrapezoidal in shape, measuring 19 x 6 x 18 x 11 mm in circumference by 3 mm thick. Rovno amber; Late Eocene. The amber has numerous plant particles, debris and one syninclusion, a collembolan labeled as 957a. Holotype in SIZK.

Diagnosis. This species can be separated from the congeners by the yellow prescutellar area and scutellum (these areas dark brown in C. shechisme and C. pernigra ) and the yellow on the posterior portions of tergites II–VII (these tergites all black in C. shechisme and C. pernigra ).

Description. Length: 2.0 mm. Head. Occiput, vertex, and front black; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by slightly more than distance between lateral ocelli; [face and oral margin obscured by position in amber]; antennae dark brown; scape minute; pedicel subspherical, slightly longer than wide; first flagellomere lanceolate-ovoid, length about 2.5 x greatest width; second flagellomere slightly more than 1/2 length of first, with apical style; proboscis dark brown, length slightly less than 1/2 head height; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length slightly more than height of oral margin; palpus not evident.

Thorax. Brown to black with prescutellar area broadly yellow, scutellum yellow, anepisternum with yellow spot posterodorsally; with scattered short dark hairs on mesonotum and scutellum; coxae and legs brown; halter stem and knob yellow, knob brown dorsally.

Wing (cf. Fig. 14 ). Subhyaline; costal and radial veins brown, others yellowish; costa ends 1/4 distance after end of vein R4+5; vein Sc incomplete, ending at level just beyond origin of Rs; Rs evanescent at connection with R1; R2+3 ends at basal 1/5 between end of R1 and R4+5; R4+5 slightly curved to wing margin; vein separating cells br and bm distinct; vein M1 slightly curved toward wing margin; M2 fairly straight to wing margin; crossvein dm-cu closing discal cell absent; veins CuA1 and A1 straight to wing margin; sparse fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing.

Abdomen. Dorsum and venter dark brown, with yellow on posterior half of tergites II–VII, with scattered dark hairs.

Etymology. The species-group epithet is an arbitrary combination of letters and is treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 14. Reconstructions of amber mythicomyiids. 13, Glabellula aggregata, n. sp., drawn from specimen at slightly different angle than shown in Fig. 2; 14, Carmenelectra shehuggme, n. sp., drawn from specimen at slightly different angle than shown in Fig. 17.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Amber mythicomyiids. Figs. 15 – 16. Carmenelectra pernigra, n. sp.: 15, amber piece showing position of holotype. 16, Detail of holotype female. Fig. 17, Carmenelectra shehuggme, n. sp., detail of holotype. Fig. 18. Riga toni, n. sp., detail of holotype female.