Punkochyzeria, Kolesnikov & Turbanov & Vorontsov, 2025

Kolesnikov, Vasiliy B., Turbanov, Ilya S. & Vorontsov, Dmitry D., 2025, Punk’s not dead? Punkochyzeria gen. nov. (Acari: Chyzeriidae) from Cretaceous Myanmar amber, Zootaxa 5686 (4), pp. 451-484 : 454

Genus Punkochyzeria gen. nov.

Type species. Punkochyzeria minaevi sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Palps slender. Palptibia with one large claw (odontus), accessory claw absent. Dorsal row of spinose setae (ctenidia) present in some species, ventral row of spinose setae (basidonts) absent. Crista metopica with two sensillary areas located next to each other. Anterior sensillary area ( ASA ) extended into anterior, triangle shaped process. Posterior sensillary area ( PSA ) oval in outline, with indistinct or long distinct posterior process. Bothridia of posterior sensilla ( PSens) are larger than those of anterior sensilla ( ASens). Eyes located laterally to crista, at level of posterior sensilla, anterior lens slightly larger than posterior lens. Idiosoma markedly widened behind aspidosoma/opisthosoma border and surrounded by cuticular rim. Four bundles of long dorsal opisthosomal setae located on four rounded projections; two kinds of setae originate from these projections: 1) densely ciliated or plumose and 2) rigid, spine-like, without cilia and with small irregularities. Moderately long setae (no more than 1/2 the length of idiosoma), ciliated or plumose, cover opisthosoma posteriorly and project backwards. Other idiosomal setae moderately short, ciliated or plumose, densely covering idiosoma ventrally and laterally. Dorsal surface of opisthosoma posterior to four bunches of long setae without dense setation.

Remarks. The new genus, like Parachyzeria , has four tufts of long setae originating from short dorsal opisthosomal projections. It differs from Parachyzeria in the armament of the palptibia: the new genus lacks a developed accessory claw (paradont) or ventral spinose setae (basidonts) ( vs. paradont and up to 7 ventral spinose setae (basidonts) present in Parachyzeria ).

It should be noted that the sensillary area and bothridia were clearly resolved only in one specimen of this study (the holotype of P. khoyi sp. nov.) and less clearly in specimen IM-1227a, not attributed to a species.

Etymology. The prefix punk is derived from the transliteration of the English word “punk”, a subculture, one of the characteristic features of which is a hairstyle reminiscent of the arrangement of long dorsal opisthosomal setae in the new genus.