Leptotarsus martinsnetoi, Ribeiro, Guilherme C. & Lukashevich, Elena D., 2014

Ribeiro, Guilherme C. & Lukashevich, Elena D., 2014, New Leptotarsus from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and Spain: the oldest members of the family Tipulidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 3753 (4), pp. 347-363 : 356-357

Leptotarsus martinsnetoi sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 16–18 )

Type material. Holotype: MZUSP 1580 (part and counterpart of entire female specimen, preserved in dorsal view; head partially preserved. Paratype: MZUSP 1581 (entire female specimen, preserved in dorsal view; head poorly preserved). NE Brazil, Santana Fm., Aptian/Albian, Early Cretaceous. Both specimens are housed in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil ( MZUSP).

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Rafael Gioia Martins-Neto (1954–2010), Brazilian paleontologist, collector of the MZUSP specimens.

Diagnosis. This species differs from the other Cretaceous species by its dark costal field, wide small discal cell and veins M3 and M4 divergent.

Description. Head. Scape stout and long, about 2.4x longer than wide. Thorax stout, ca. 2.1x longer than wide. Wing transparent except for dark pterostigma and costal field. Sc reaching wing margin shortly beyond the level of first bifurcation of Rs and near the level of the tip of M4; sc-r present, positioned near mid-point between origin of Rs and tip of R1; Rs curved, slightly longer than R2+3; R1 reaching wing margin at the level of bifurcation of R2+3; r- r oblique, linking R1 to R2; R2 oblique; medial vein four-branched; discal cell ca. 1.63x longer than wide; M3 and M4 divergent toward wing margin, similar in shape; m-cu linking Cu to the base of M4. Abdomen stout, ca. 2.0x longer than thorax; ovipositor with short, stout cerci.

Measurements. Body length, 10.7–11.9. Wing length/width, 8.9–10.5/2.4–2.8.

Note. The holotype is a bit smaller than the paratype, but since the two specimens have basically the same pattern of wing venation, they are treated here as belonging to the same species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Wing venation of Leptotarsus spp. from Santana Formation, Early Cretaceous, Brazil. 1 — L. grimaldii sp. nov., holotype AMNH SA 46358, right wing. 2 — L. grimaldii sp. nov., paratype AMNH SA 46366, left wing. 3 — L. cretaceus sp. nov., holotype AMNH SA 46354, right wing. 4 — L. martinsnetoi sp. nov., holotype MZUSP 1580, left wing.

FIGURES 16 – 17. Leptotarsus martinsnetoi, sp. nov., from Santana Formation, Early Cretaceous, Brazil, holotype (part) MZUSP 1580. 16 — Total view. 17 — Detail of right wing. Abbreviations: comp eye: compound eye; scp: scape.

FIGURE 18. Leptotarsus martinsnetoi, sp. nov., from Santana Formation, Early Cretaceous, Brazil, paratype MZUSP 1581, total view.