Megaraphidia exhumata (Cockerell, 1909) Cockerell, 1909

Makarkin, Vladimir N. & Archibald, S. Bruce, 2014, A revision of the late Eocene snakeflies (Raphidioptera) of the Florissant Formation, Colorado, with special reference to the wing venation of the Raphidiomorpha, Zootaxa 3784 (4), pp. 401-444 : 416-418

Megaraphidia exhumata (Cockerell, 1909) , comb. nov.

( Figs 6 , 7 )

Raphidia exhumata Cockerell, 1909a: 73 ; Rohwer 1909: 534; Cockerell 1912: 215, 216; Cockerell 1914: 715; Cockerell & Custer 1925: 296; Martynov 1925a: 245; Rodeck 1938: 290; Carpenter 1936: 143, 146–148, Fig. 9 ; Nel et al. 1990: 34; Oswald 1990: 160; Engel 2003: 125; Engel 2009: 213 (Tabl. 1); Engel 2011: 79 (Tabl. 2), 80.

Raphidia exhumata var. a: Cockerell 1912: 215, Fig.

“ Raphidia ” exhumata : Aspöck et al. 1991: 539, 665, Fig. 3052; Engel 2002: 22.

Raphidia pulveris Cockerell, 1914: 714 ; Carpenter 1936: 143, 146–148 (as a synonym of Raphidia exhumata ); Oswald 1990: 160 (as a synonym of R. exhumata ); Engel 2002: 22 (as a synonym of R. exhumata ); Engel 2003: 125 (as a synonym of R. exhumata ).

“ Raphidia ” pulveris : Aspöck et al. 1991: 540, 665.

Diagnosis. May be distinguished from M. elegans by crossvein between AA1, AA2 [these touching in M. elegans ]; by one branch of CuA before fusion with MP [two in M. elegans ].

Revised description. Specimen UCM 4513 ( Fig. 6 ). Forewing relatively broad, 12.1 mm long, 3.7 mm wide (length/width ratio 3.3). Costa in proximal portion and apically very stout. Costal space broad, strongly dilated at proximal 1/3. Ten subcostal veinlets (branches of ScP) simple, relatively closely spaced. Length from termination of ScP to pterostigma less than length of pterostigma. In subcostal space, one crossvein between ScP, RA located slightly distad middle between origin of RP, divergence of M, CuA; other crossvein closes pterostigma proximally. Pterostigma moderately long, darkish. RA with four branches, three long: one forked within pterostigma, second closing pterostigma distally, two other distad pterostigma; posterior trace of RA distad pterostigma long. Two crossveins between RA, RP; 2ra-rp located opposite termination of ScP; 3ra-rp located within pterostigma, in distal portion. Anterior trace of RP forked apically, with two branches proximad 3ra-rp, two distad. RP 1 deeply forked, both branches simple; RP 2, RP 3 simple; PR4 forked. One intraradial crossvein, between stem of RP, RP 1 at origin. Three crossveins between RP, MA; 1rp-m close to origin of RP. M appears fused with R for considerable distance (near wing base these separate), then forked well proximad origin of RP. MA dichotomously branched; MP pectinately branched; anterior trace, both branches deeply forked. Two long intramedian crossveins. M, CuA fused basally for very short distance, then running parallel to CuP, then its anterior trace strongly zigzagged, deeply forked, with one long simple branch. CuP simple. One long intracubital crossvein. Crossvein between CuP, AA1 rather long, located much closer to origin of CuA than to intracubital crossvein. AA1 to AA3 simple; crossvein iaa moderately long.

Specimen MCZ 3640, holotype of Raphidia pulveris ( Fig. 7 ). Forewing 11.0 mm long, 3.3 mm wide (length/ width ratio 3.3). Venation very similar to that of the holotype, except: 3ra-rp located distantly to ending of pterostigma; RA with three branches: one simple within pterostigma, second closed pterostigma distally, third distad pterostigma; one branches of RP 1, and RP 2 forked; crossvein between CuP, AA1 incompletely preserved, positioned mid-way between origin of CuA, intracubital crossvein; crossvein between AA1, AA2 much shorter.

Type material. Holotype of Raphidia exhumata : Specimen No. 4513 (collected by S.A. Rohwer in 1908), deposited in UCM. A forewing. Verbatim label data [typed and hand written]: “F / UCM Paleontology TYPE Collection / Neuroptera : Raphidiidae / UCM #: 4513 Locality #: 83013 Description: wing / ID: Raphidia exhumata Cockerell / Age: Late Eocene Collector: SA Rohwer 1908 / Fm: FLFO Citation: Toohey 55263”. The specimen has a blue hand written label glued to the rock that says “ TYPE / Raphidia / exhumata / Ckll/ Florissant”, and red / black ink writing on the rock that say “ TYPE / R 139 [‘9’ unclear]” and red / black ink writing on a circular paper glued to the rock that says “ TYPE / 4513”.

Holotype of Raphidia pulveris: No. 3640 a, b (part, counterpart) (collected by H. F. Wickham), deposited in MCZ. A well preserved forewing. Verbatim label data associated with the part 3640A: [1] “Mus. Comp. Zoöl., Cambridge, Mass. / No. 3640 ab / Raphidia / pulveris Cock. / Holotype / H.F.W. Coll. Florissant”; [2] “3640-a / type / Raphidia / pulveris Cock. / Florissant / Neuroptera : Raphididae [sic]”. The part has a red label glued to the rock that says “ Holotype.”, and black ink writing on the rock that says “3640.-a” and on the back “ Raphidia / pulveris / Ckll / type ”. Labels associated with the counterpart 3640B: [3] “Mus. Comp. Zoöl., Cambridge, Mass. / No. 3640 b / Raphidia pulveris / Cock. / holotype / Scudder Collection Florissant, Colo[rado]”; [4] same text as in the label [2], except “3640-b”. The counterpart has a red label glued to the rock that says “ Holotype.”, and black ink writings on the rock that say “3640-b” and on the back “ Raphidia / pulveris / Ckll / type ”.

Type locality. Florissant: Station 13B ( UCM locality No. 83013) (holotype of R. exhumata ); Wilson Ranch (holotype of R. pulveris ).

Remarks. T.D.A. Cockerell (1912) reported a well-preserved forewing that was collected by his wife at Station 23, Raphidia exhumata var. a. It was only partially figured, and the current location of this specimen is unknown. Judging from the original description, this specimen is very similar to MCZ 3640.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Megaraphidia exhumata (Cockerell, 1909). Holotype UCM 4513. A, the specimen as preserved. B, forewing venation. Scale bar = 4 mm (both to scale).

FIGURE 7. Megaraphidia exhumata (Cockerell, 1909). Holotype MCZ 3640. A, part (converted to right). B, counterpart. C, forewing venation. Scale bar = 4 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 9. Pterostigma of Archiraphidia species. A – C, A. tumulata (Scudder, 1890): A, left wings. B, right forewing. C, right hind wing. D – F, A. tranquilla (Scudder, 1890): D, four wings of the holotype MCZ 446. E, four wings of MCZ 4137 (lectotype of A. eventa (Scudder, 1890 )); F, left wings of MCZ 253 (paralectotype of A. eventa). G, three wings of A.? somnolenta (Scudder, 1890). H, right forewing of A.? somnolenta. HW, hind wing; LFW, left forewing; RFW, right forewing. All wings are shown with apex to right and not to scale.