Palaeochrysa Scudder, 1883

Makarkin, Vladimir N., Antell, Gwen S. & Archibald, S. Bruce, 2022, A revision of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) from the late Eocene Florissant Formation Colorado, with description of new species, Zootaxa 5133 (3), pp. 301-345 : 330

Genus Palaeochrysa Scudder, 1883

Palaeochrysa Scudder, 1882: 408 (nomen nudum); Scudder 1883: 283; Scudder 1885: 777; Scudder 1890: 166, 168, 169; Cockerell 1908a: 90, 91; Cockerell 1909a: 78; Handlirsch 1913: 813; Cockerell 1914: 716; Handlirsch 1920 –1921 [1921]: 256; Carpenter 1935: 259, 260, 262, 263, 265, 269, 270; Laurentiaux 1953: 480; Tjeder 1966: 247; Schlüter 1984: 7; Makarkin 1991: 67; Willmann & Brooks 1991: 130, 131; Willmann 1993: 242, 244; Makarkin 1998: 78; Nel et al. 2005: 67; Makarkin & Archibald 2013: 134, 140; Archibald et al. 2014: 191; Makarkin 2014: 4; Archibald & Makarkin 2015: 364; Archibald & Makarkin 2017: 399; Makarkin et al. 2018: 534.

Paleochrysa [sic]: Adams 1957: 71, 72; Adams 1967: 220, 231; Yang & Hong 1990: 20; Carpenter 1992: 347; Peñalver et al. 1995: 486.

Type and only species. Palaeochrysa stricta Scudder, 1890 , by subsequent monotypy.

Emended diagnosis. May be distinguished from other genera of Nothochrysinae by a combination of the following. Fore- and hind wings: (1) two gradate series in radial space [ Okanaganochrysa , Triplochrysa : three; Dictyochrysa , Adamsochrysa : four or more]; (2) inner gradate series arranged in strongly broken line (shared by Tribochrysa , some Nothochrysa and Cimbrochrysa ) [other genera: arranged in smooth line]; (3) Psm nearly straight, very slightly zigzagged [ Tribochrysa : strongly zigzagged]; (4) Psm formed by five branches of RP [ Tribochrysa : two-three branches]. Forewing: (5) im elongate [ Cimbrochrysa , Danochrysa , Asiachrysa , Okanaganochrysa , Leptochrysa : broadly pentagonal; Stephenbrooksia : very long, narrow]. Hind wing: three branches of CuA proximad fusion with MP [ Nothochrysa : one branch].

Remarks. It has been generally considered that the genera Tribochrysa and Palaeochrysa were described by Scudder (1885) and Scudder (1890) respectively (e.g., Adams 1967). However, they were actually described by Scudder in 1883 when these names were provided with short diagnoses: “the genera differ from each other in the course of the upper cubital vein [= Psm proximally, and inner gradate series of crossveins distally], which in Palaeochrysa is direct and bordered by comparatively uniform cells, while in Tribochrysa it is doubly bent in the middle, and is therefore bordered by very unequal cells” ( Scudder 1883: p. 283). Although he included no species, these genus names were available according to ICZN Article 67.2.2. The first species expressly included in these genera were Tribochrysa inaequalis Scudder, 1885 , and Palaeochrysa stricta Scudder, 1890 . These are deemed to be the only originally included nominal species, and are, therefore, the type species by subsequent monotypy (Article 69.3).

Upon our examination of the holotype of Palaeochrysa stricta , we find that Scudder’s diagnosis (1883) does not separate these genera, and his drawings (1890, Pl. 14, Figs 13 , 14 ) which depict the inner gradate series in the fore- and hind wing as smoothly aligned are inaccurate. We, therefore, provide the above emended diagnosis. The gradate series of crossveins in Palaeochrysa and Tribochrysa are similarly arranged in both the fore- and hind wings, with the inner series of crossveins arranged in a strongly broken line, which is shifted anteriad at the termination of Psm. These genera differ as in the diagnosis of Tribochrysa , below. It is interesting that the hind wing venation of Palaeochrysa is very similar to that of Nothochrysa and Chrysopinae , mainly by the arrangement of the inner gradate series of crossveins together with the well-developed Psm.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Wing venation drawings of Cimbrochrysa major sp. nov., paratype FLFO 4194 (male). A, left forewing; B, right forewing; C, right hind wings; D, left hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 14. Lithochrysa wickhami (Cockerell, 1914), holotype MCZ 4499 (male?). A, specimen; B, right forewing; C, left forewing; D, right hind wing; E, left hind wing; F, end of abdomen. All converted to standard view, with apex to the right. s, unknown structure, Scale bars = 3 mm (A; B–E to scales), 1 mm (F).