Creagroparaberotha groehni, Makarkin, Vladimir N., 2015

Makarkin, Vladimir N., 2015, A new genus of the mantispid-like Paraberothinae (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from Burmese amber, with special consideration of its probasitarsus spine-like setation, Zootaxa 4007 (3), pp. 327-342 : 329-333

Creagroparaberotha groehni sp. nov.

Figs 1–6

Type material. Holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568 (collection of C. Gröhn, no. 11071), deposited in the Geological-Paleontological Institute and Museum of the University of Hamburg [Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Hamburg]. A complete specimen.

Type locality and horizon. Burmese amber (Northern Myanmar: Kachin State: Myitkyina District: Tanai Township: Hukaung Valley). Late Cretaceous: earliest Cenomanian (the age according to Shi et al. 2012). Etymology. After the surname of Carsten Gröhn, recognizing his help in the examination of the holotype.

Description. Body length 3.6 mm as preserved. Head with large eyes; postocular lobe not inflated. Frons and vertex with long scarce setae. Antennae: scapus long (ca. 5–6 times as long as maximum wide), slightly dilated towards apex; pedicellus elongate (approximately 3 times as long as maximum width), markedly dilated towards apex; flagellum with 32 segments, of these terminal eleven markedly darker than more proximal. Terminal segment of labial palpi narrow, acute.

Pronotum elongate, narrow; only slightly wider than width of head between eyes; covered with long setae. Structure of mesothorax, metathorax unclear.

Foreleg. Procoxa very long (ca. 0.8 mm), narrowed distally. Protrochanter elongate (nearly three times as long as wide), slightly curved. Profemur long (ca. 0.9 mm), markedly narrowed towards apex; covered with dense fine setae which becoming slightly longer and stronger towards apex on outer (dorsal) and lateral edges, and with several long spines and numerous shorter spine-like setae on inner (ventral) edge, only slightly bent towards apex or standing at right angles. Protibia long, slender; covered with fine long setae on outer and lateral edges, and with at least 12 long strong spine-like pale setae bent towards apex on inner edge. Protarsus: probasitarsus longest (relative length of tarsomeres 2.6–1–1.8–1.3–1.3), with one spine-like long curved seta on outer edge, and with six ventral spine-like setae of different sizes; second protarsomere shortest, with one spine-like long curved seta on outer edge, and with one short ventral spine-like seta; third to fifth protarsomeres covered with fine longish setae; claws very slender, curved.

Mid-leg. Mesocoxa stout, conical, rather short. Mesotrochanter similar in structure to that of foreleg. Mesofemur elongate (ca. 0.8 mm), slender; covered dorsally with long setae. Mesotibia long (ca. 0.9 mm), slender; covered with dense long setae with their apices inclined towards tibia apex, and with several long stronger almost perpendicular setae at tibia middle, and at apex forming apical collar of ≥ five strong setae. Mesotarsus similar to metatarsus.

Hind leg. Metacoxa similar to metacoxa. Metatrochanter short. Metafemur elongate, slender; covered with long setae. Metatibia long (ca. 1.5 mm), slender; covered with dense long setae with their apices inclined towards tibia apex, and with several long stronger almost perpendicular setae before tibia end, and at apex forming apical collar of ≥ seven long strong setae. Metatarsus thin, long (ca. 0.8 mm), covered with very dense fine setae; relative length of tarsomeres 6.2–1.9–1.1–1.1–1.

Abdomen oval, rather stout; terminal segments without visible processes and projections (no clear hypocaudae and pseudohypocaudae). Segmentation and finer structure of terminal segments unclear ( Fig. 3 ).

Forewing broadly-oval, 3.65 mm long, 1.7 mm wide (left forewing). Costal space relatively broad, especially at proximal one third and distad fusion of ScP, RA. Most subcostal veinlets once forked, relatively shallowly; sixseven veinlets simple. Humeral plate elongated, ellipsoid. Humeral veinlet recurrent, with two very short simple branches. Subcostal space broad; proximal crossvein (1scp-r) located much distad origin of RP. Presumable ScA well developed, very short connecting origin of costal vein with ScP ( Fig. 5 ). ScP, RA fused apically. ScP+RA entering wing margin before apex, with four-five forked veinlets. RA space generally slightly wider than subcostal space, with two crossveins proximad fusion of ScP, RA, none distad. RP originated far from wing base, with three branches originated proximad 3ra-rp. Stem of RP, RP 1, RP 2 similarly dichotomously branched distally; RP 3 shallowly forked: once in left wing, twice in right wing. No crossveins between branches of RP. Two crossveins between RP, M: proximal crossvein 2r-m connecting stem of RP, MA; distal crossvein 4r-m (belonging to outer series) connecting RP 1 before branching and anterior branch of MA. M basally not fused with R; forked slightly distad origin of RP. MA, MP dichotomously branched similar to branching of RP 1. One crossvein (4im) belonging to outer series between MA, MP. Three crossveins between M, Cu: 1m-cu (‘M5’) connecting M, CuA; 2m-cu connecting MP, CuA proximad its branching; 4m-cu connecting MP proximad its branching, CuA much distad origin of CuA1. Cu divided into CuA, CuP rather close to wing base. CuA pectinately branched, with two branches; CuA1 shallowly dichotomously branched distally. CuP deeply forked: anterior branch shallowly dichotomously branched, posterior branch shallowly twice forked. One crossvein (2icu) between CuA, CuP connecting CuA proximad 2m-cu, anterior branch of CuP. Basal ‘anal bridge’ between Cu, AA1 well developed. One crossvein (1cu-aa) between Cu, AA1 connecting CuP, AA1 much proximad branching. AA1 pectinately branched, with four short branches; proximal-most branch forked. AA2 pectinate, with three simple branches. AA3 stout for most length, probably with one short branch (poorly preserved). One crossvein (1aa1-aa2) between AA1, AA2 located proximad 1cu-aa. Jugal lobe rather poorly developed. Setae on veins rather long. Marginal setae arranged in bunches at end of veins and trichosors, very long (especially along jugal lobe). Trichosors prominent along entire wing margin (except basally where these are not so distinct). Wing membrane hyaline, with following dark brown maculation: narrowly margined crossveins 3ra-rp, 4im; two rather large semi-round spots at anterior part of 2r-m, 1cu-aa; two spots along hind margin (at end of CuA1 and posterior branch of CuP); and spots at primary forks (inside) of stem of RP, RP 1, RP 2.

Hind wing 3.3 mm long, 1.3 mm wide (left hind wing). Costal space strongly narrowed medially, dilated proximally and distally, especially distad fusion of ScP, RA. Subcostal veinlets poorly preserved; few preserved veinlets in narrow medial part simple, rather close spaced. Humeral plate elongate, narrow. Subcostal space broad, basally appears narrowed; no crossvein detected. ScP, RA fused apically. ScP+RA entering wing margin before apex, with four distal veinlets, two of these sinuous, branched (proximal veinlets poorly preserved). RA space wider than subcostal space, with two crossveins proximad fusion of ScP, RA, none distad. RP originated rather far from wing base, with three branches originating proximad 3ra-rp. Stem of RP twice rather shallowly forked; RP 1, RP 2 similarly dichotomously branched distally; RP 3 once shallowly forked. No crossveins between branches of RP. One crossvein between RP, M (4r-m) connecting RP 1, MA before their branching; basal 1r-m not detected, most probably absent. M basally not fused with R; forked distad origin of RP and at level of 2icu. MA, MP parallel, dichotomously branched (similar to branching of RP 1). One crossvein (4im) belonging to outer series between MA, MP. Two crossveins between M, Cu: 1m-cu (‘M5’) connecting M, Cu before fork; 4m-cu connecting MP proximad its branching, CuA distad diastal-most branch of CuA. Cu dividing into CuA, CuP slightly distal to wing base than in forewing. CuA long, running rather close to hind margin medially, pectinately branched with four branches; CuA1 twice forked. CuP running very close to hind margin in distal half, pectinately branched with seven simple branches. One crossvein (2icu) between CuA, CuP. Basal ‘anal bridge’ between Cu, AA1 and claval fold well developed. No crossveins between Cu, AA1 detected. AA1 pectinately branched, with three short branches. AA2 pectinately branched, rather short, with two simple branches. AA3 short, simple. Crossveins between anal veins not detected. Jugal lobe poorly developed. Setae on veins rather long. Marginal setae arranged in bunches at end of veins and trichosors; very long along hind margin (especially along jugal lobe), shorter along costal margin. Trichosors prominent along entire wing margin (except basally and along anterior margin where these are not distinct). Wing membrane hyaline, without maculation.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. Specimen as preserved. A, latero-dorsal view. B, latero-ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm (A, B to scale).

FIGURE 2. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. A, anterior part of body (lateral view). B, left foreleg (lateral view). Scale bars = 0.5 mm (A), 0.3 mm (B).

FIGURE 3. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. Distal portions of abdomen (latero-ventral view) and left hind leg. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 4. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., wing venation of the holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. A, left forewing. B, left hind wing. Both converted to standard dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. Basal portion of the left forewing costal space. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 6. Creagroparaberotha groehni gen. et sp. nov., details of forelegs of the holotype GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4568. A, left protarsus (outer lateral view). B, right protarsus (dorsal view). btr, basitarsus; ds, dorsal spine-like setae; fm, femur; ti, tibia. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.