Electropsychops oligophlebius, Bai & Chang & Shih & Ren & Wang, 2019

Bai, Haiyan, Chang, Yu, Shih, Chungkun, Ren, Dong & Wang, Yongjie, 2019, New silky lacewings from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Insecta: Neuroptera Psychopsidae), Zootaxa 4661 (1), pp. 182-188 : 185-186

Electropsychops oligophlebius sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 4 )

Diagnosis. Forewing: Sc and RA fused distally; single sc-ra cross-vein; few ra-rp cross-veins; MA and MP single or simply distal-forked; the inner gradate series well-developed (or partly present). Hind wing: relatively prolonged, apex rounded; humeral veinlet recurrent, but not strongly bent posteriad; the outer gradate series partly present.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin “ oligophlebius ” (meaning few veins) referring to the scanty cross-veins preserved between Sc and RA.

Remarks. The new species is assigned to Electropsychops based on the the elongated wing shape, gradually narrowed costal space, and similar configurations of M and Cu. The new species is distinguished from E. handlirschi by having fewer sc-ra and ra-rp cross-veins, the distally fused Sc and RA, and the presence of two gradate series of cross-veins.

Type material. Holotype CNU-NEU-MA2017008 ( Fig. 3A ) (Head and wings well-preserved, but forewing and hind wing mostly overlap. Abdomen is not preserved.)

Locality and horizon. Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, Northern Myanmar; lowermost Cenomanian, mid-Cretaceous.

Description. Head short, 0.81 mm long. Compound eyes large. Antenna filiform, 1.82 mm long ( Fig. 3B ).

Forewing: 11.70 mm long as perserved, 5.73 mm wide, transparent, broad ovate; trichosors present; humeral plate round; only one nygma present, distal nygma absent ( Figs. 3C, D ); costal space fairly broad basally, narrowed towards apex; more than 50 costal cross-veins, only a few shallowly forked, absences of interlinked veinlets in costal space; humeral veinlets recurrent towards base with 11 simple branches; subcostal space with a single cross-vein preserved; RA space narrowed, with three cross-veins as preserved; Sc and RA fused near wing apex; Sc + RA straight, trifurcated and not curved posteriad; RP with nine branches, most RP branches deeply forked; radial cross- veins arranged in two long gradate series, inner and middle gradate series present, costal and outer gradate series absent, others irregularly spaced; M simple and forked into two main branches, MA and MP single or simply forked distally; CuA pectinately branched distally; CuP branched near wing base and dichotomously branched; anal space welldeveloped, A1 forming five pectinate branches; A2 dichotomously branched ( Figs. 4A, B ).

Hind wing: Smaller than forewing, 11.37 mm long, 5.01 mm wide; trichosors present along entire wing margin; nygma absent; costal space broad throughout, with 41 costal crossveins, mostly simple, no interlinking veinlets; humeral veinlet recurrent; subcostal space narrow, with two cross-veins preserved; RA space with seven cross-veins preserved; RP with 18 branches, several RP branches deeply forked; an outer gradate series of cross-veins partly present in radial space; 1rp-ma cross-vein is sigmoid; M forked into two main branches; CuA pectinately branched from about its midlength; CuP with a number of dichotomously branches; anal space poorly preserved; A1 with a few dichotomous branches; A2 shallowly forked ( Figs. 4C, D ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Holotype (CNU-NEU-MA2017008) of Electropsychops oligophlebius sp. nov., photographs. A. Habitus; B. An- tennae; C. Left forewing base; D. Right forewing base. Scale bars: 2 mm for A, 0.5 mm for B, C, D.

FIGURE 4. Electropsychops oligophlebius sp. nov., holotype, line drawings. A. Left forewing; B. Left hind wing; C. Right forewing; D. Right hind wing. Scale bars: 1 mm.