Snotra herczeki, Drohojowska & Bogusiak & Kurkina & Zmarzły & Szwedo, 2023

Drohojowska, Jowita, Bogusiak, Weronika, Kurkina, Sonia, Zmarzły, Marzena & Szwedo, Jacek, 2023, A new species of Eocene whitefly-Snotra herczeki sp. nov. (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) from Baltic amber, Zootaxa 5382 (1), pp. 139-145 : 140-143

Snotra herczeki sp. nov., Drohojowska et Szwedo

( Figs 1–8 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C1BD509-4938-4576-91FD-C9B701C5198C

Diagnosis. Similar in general structure of thorax to Snotra christelae Szwedo et Drohojowska, 2016 , but differs in 6-segmented antenna (antenna 7-segmented in S. christelae ); pronotum almost straight (pronotum arcuate in S. christelae ); mesopraescutum slightly wider than long, with lateral and posterior angles rounded (mesopraescutum about as long as wide in S. christelae , lateral and posterior angles acute); fore wing with vein R1 faint (short R1 present in S. christelae ); vein CuP not reaching margin (vein CuP reaching margin in S. christelae ); hind wing with Rs not reaching margin (Rs reaching margin in S. christelae ).

Remark. The apical portion of antennae in S. herczeki sp. nov. is not very clearly visible, it is a possibility that antennomeres VIth and VIIth are short and fused; 6-segmented antennae are present also in Aleurodicinae genera Paernis Drohojowska et Szwedo, 2011 (antenna with long flagellum in Paernis ) and Rovnodicus Drohojowska et Szwedo, 2015 (apical segment distinctly tapering apically in Rovnodicus ). Antenna 6-segmented is also present in Bernaeinae genus Heidea Schlee, 1969 .

Description. For measurements see Table 1 .

Head with compound eyes at widest point about 1.3 times narrower than the pronotum. Head from the dorsal side very clearly visible, the anterior edge of the vertex concave in the middle part and convex on the sides. Vertex with a triangular depression between the compound eyes. Lateral ocelli visible from above, shifted posteriad towards posterior margins of head, at about half of compound eye length. Median ocellus not visible. Antennae bases in shallow concavities of anterior margin of compound eyes, scapus short (merely visible from above), about half of pedicel length, pedicel about 2.5 times longer than wide; antennomere IIIrd slender, about 2.6 times as long as pedicel, with enlarged rhinarium at the apex; antennomere IVth shorter than IIIrd, antennomere Vth slightly shorter than IVth, apical antennomere the shortest (could be fused of short antennomeres VIth and VIIth), tapering toward apex, with short apical seta. Compound eyes most probably not divided, anterior margin shallowly incised, with individual ommatidia visible; ommatidia large.

Pronotum almost in a straight line over its entire width, 1.3 times as wide as head with compound eyes, about 1.2 times wider than mesoscutum; anterior margin in median part gently convex; anterolateral margins broadly rounded; posterior edge slightly curved ventrally; anterolateral edges with a distinct convexity on each side; lateral parts of pronotum massive, more than twice as long as pronotum in midline. Mesopraescutum 2.3 times narrower and 5 times longer than pronotum; twice longer than mesoscutum; in shape resembles a triangle with widely rounded angles; anterior margin gently arched; lateral parts rounded; posterolateral margin with slightly concave borders; apical angle of posterior margin rounded; posterior edge set centrally in anterior incision of mesoscutum.

Mesoscutum narrower than pronotum, more than twice as long in midline; more than twice as wide as mesoscutellum (measured without departing lateral bands); the length of the mesoscutum in the lateral parts is twice the length measured in the midline; anterior margin in median section deeply concave due to incision of mesopraescutum; anterolateral and posterolateral edges rounded, joining each other in a bracket shape; posterior margin shallowly concave, almost straight.

Mesoscutellum narrow and short; 5 times as wide as long; oblong in shape. Anterior margin slightly convex; lateral sections in form of thin bands running on both sides of the plate; posterior margin straight, horizontal along its entire length.

Mesopostnotum shaped like an inverted trapezoid; in the midline as long as mesoscutum; as wide as mesopraescutum, about half of mesopraescutum length; anterior margin horizontal and straight; anterolateral sections arched towards wings; posterior margin in median part horizontal and straight; posterolateral edges arched upwards and then towards wings. Anterolateral and posterolateral margins converge and run horizontally to form thin lateral bands of mesopostnotum, which meet anterolateral margins of metascutum; 2/3 of plate length embedded in metascutum.

Metascutum twice as wide as metascutellum and 3 times shorter in midline than wide.Anterior margin conforms to posterior margin and posterolateral margin of mesopostnotum; right anterolateral edge and posterolateral edge obscured by right wing of first pair; left anterolateral edge arched towards abdomen; posterolateral edge arched towards head; these edges converge to form a small convexity at side of plate; posterior edge broadly rounded and concave. The metascutum in the midline is very short, due to the deposition of the preceding plate.

Metascutellum (not counting lateral bands of mesoscutellum) almost as wide and long in midline as mesoscutellum; nearly half as long in midline as mesopraescutum; anterior margin convex and broadly rounded; posterior margin broadly arched.

Both pairs of wings preserved in very good condition. Fore wings narrower at base, broader at apex, about twice as long as wide; costal margin slightly arcuate at base, then almost straight, to anteroapical angle; apex broadly arched, anteroapical and posterior angles broadly rounded; posterior margin almost straight, and in lower part of clavus rounded towards wing joint. Wing margins with tubercles.

Fore wing venation simple, vein Sc+R straight at base then, at about 0.4 of fore wing length slightly shifted mediad, split, with very faint and short trace of R1 and slightly arcuate Rs nor reaching margin, terminating at about 0.9 of fore wing length; vein CuP short, reaching about 0.3 of fore wing length, merely arched, not reaching posterior margin, terminated at proximity of claval apex. Hind wings slightly shorter than fore wings, slightly narrower at base, about twice as long as wide; costal margin arcuate at base, then straight, anteroapical and posteroapical angles widely arounded, venation simple with single Sc+R vein merely anteriad of median axis, slightly arcuate, not reaching margin, terminating at about 0.9 of hind wing length.

Legs not clearly visible, partly hidden under the body and under the adjoining syninclusion; tarsal claws distinct, elongate, and narrow. Abdomen with the copulatory apparatus obscured by the hind wings, the shape of the tip suggests that it is a female specimen.

Age and occurrence. Eocene, Bartonian-Priabonian, Baltic amber, Gulf of Gdańsk area. See discussions in Szwedo & Drohojowska (2016), Szadziewski et al. (2018), Sadowski et al. (2022) regarding the age of Baltic amber and its deposits.

Type material. Holotype. Female. Carsten Gröhn collection, Glinde, deposited in LIB— Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels (former Centrum für Naturkunde—CeNak ), Universität Hamburg, GPIH 5082 ( CGCG1639 ).

A small piece of amber measuring 1.3 cm × 0.8 cm × 0.4 cm, approximately hemispherical in shape. Specimen preserved in good condition, but only the dorsal side is visible. The ventral side completely obscured by another insect inclusion—fragments of Dolichopodidae fly. Other syninclusions: Acari, stellate hairs, arthropod appendages fragments (Pseudoscorpionida?), small fragments of detritus.

Etymology. Specific epithet is given after eminent specialist on Heteroptera and our friend Prof. Aleksander Herczek on the occasion of his 70 th birthday.

Figures

FIGURE 1–8. 1. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. body dorsal side. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. 2. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. head, thorax dorsal side. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. 3. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. drawing of body dorsal side. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. 4. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. drawing of head, thorax dorsal side. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. 5. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. left wings. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. 6. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. drawing of right forewing. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. 7. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. right forewing. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. 8. Snotra herczeki sp. nov. drawing of right hindwing. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Tables

TABLE 1. Basic measurements of the specimen.

	mm
Body length total	-
Head length in mid line	0.10
Head with compound eyes width	0.20
Forewing length	0.79 (L) 0.84 (R)
Forewing width	0.38 (L) 0.37 (R)
Hindwing length	0.62 (L) 0.63 (R)
Hindwing width	0.31(L) 0.32(R)
Antennal segment II	0.05 (L)
Antennal segment III	0.13 (L)
Pronotum width	0.27
Pronotum length in mid line	0.02
Mesopraescutum width	0.12
Mesopraescutum length in mid line	0.10
Mesoscutum width	0.23
Mesoscutum length in mid line	0.05
Mesoscutellum width	0.10
Mesoscutellum length	0.02
Mesopostnotum width	0.12
Mesopostnotum length	0.05
Metascutum width	0.18
Metascutum length	0.01