Baskintoconops maaloufi Pielowska-Ceranowska, 2023

Pielowska-Ceranowska, Agata, Azar, Dany & Szwedo, Jacek, 2023, A new genus and species of Leptoconopinae (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Lower Cretaceous Baskinta amber outcrop in Lebanon, European Journal of Taxonomy 908, pp. 27-38 : 30-33

Baskintoconops maaloufi Pielowska-Ceranowska gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:25FEB94D-F1F2-4FF1-A110-3D46F38E94A5

Figs 2–4

Diagnosis

As for genus as it is only included species so far. In addition: fore leg LR 1.83, TR 2.4; hind leg LR 1.71, TR 1.18.

Etymology

The specific name is after Mounir and Ramy Maalouf, collectors of this fossil.

Material examined

Holotype LEBANON • ♀ (placed between cover slips with medium (Canada balsam), well preserved); lower Barremian; QBC-13D , Museum of Natural History of the Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II, Fanar, Lebanon. Locality and horizon Qanat Bakish, Baskinta (33°57′3″ N, 35°47′24″ E), Caza (= District) El-Maten, Mouhafazet (= Governorate) Mount Lebanon, Central Lebanon; lower Barremian ( Maksoud & Azar 2020; Maksoud et al. 2021, 2022).

Description

Female (holotype, QBC-13D)

TOTAL HABITUS. As in Fig. 3A.

HEAD. Eyes reniform, deep anteriad concavity, surrounding base of antennae, bare, fused above antennae, with distinct ommatidia; mouthparts elongated, needle-like, shorter than height of head capsule, hypophygium spatulate, palpi 4-segmented, third palpomere slightly thicker with round sensory pit and single elongate seta, apical palpomere slightly slender with 4 apical setae. Antennae with 15 antennomeres, flagellum composed of 13 separate flagellomeres, 6 th –12 th nearly equal in length, terminal flagellomere with slightly pointed apex; proboscis quite long.

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 0.86 mm. Thorax 0.29 mm long, 0.14 mm high. Legs: moderately slender, fore femur as long as fore tibia, 0.13 mm, fore tarsus 0.17 mm, tarsomeres: I – 0.06 mm, II – 0.025 mm, III – 0.02 mm, IV – 0.02 mm, V – 0.025 mm; hind femur as long as hind tibia, 0.13 mm; hind tarsus 0.21 mm, tarsomeres: I – 0.065, II – 0.055 mm; III – 0.02 mm, IV – 0.015 mm; V – 0.03 mm. Claws simple, near equal in length.

WING. Length 0.5 mm, costal vein length 0.41 mm, costal ratio 0.82, wing membrane without macrotrichia. Haltere with thin pedicellum and droplet-shaped, elongately spatulate capitulum. Base of M 1 and M 2 veins weakly expressed (marked with dashed lines in the Figures 4A and 5C ).

ABDOMEN. Abdomen 0.48 mm, cerci rather long and slender, ca 0.05 mm.

Male

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 2. Baskintoconops maaloufi Pielowska-Ceranowska gen. et sp. nov., holotype (QBC-13D). A. General view. B. Compound eye and right antenna. C. Anterior portion of body, left lateral view. D. Head and mouthparts, right lateral view.

Fig. 3. Baskintoconops maaloufi Pielowska-Ceranowska gen. et sp. nov., holotype (QBC-13D).A. Wings venation and halter in mixed blue light. B. Negative image of wings venation and halter in mixed blue light. C. Wings in white translucent illumination. Scale bars: A–B = 0.2 mm; C = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 4. Baskintoconops maaloufi Pielowska-Ceranowska gen. et sp. nov., holotype (QBC-13D). A. Venation pattern of wing. B. Antenna. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 5. Venation patterns of Lower Cretaceous Leptoconopinae Noè, 1907. A. Jordanoconops Szadziewski, 2000. B. Fossileptoconops Szadziewski, 1996. C. Baskintoconops Pielowska-Ceranowska gen. nov. A and B modified after Szadziewski (2000) and Borkent (2000, 2019).