A new fossil species of the genus Bibio, with an update on bibionid flies from Baltic and Rovno amber (Diptera, Bibionidae)

John Skartveit

doi:10.3897/dez.68.60611

Abstract

Species of Bibionidae from Baltic amber are reevaluated based on newly discovered material, and a key to the species is given. Bibio succineussp. nov. is described based on one male specimen, this is the first Bibio named from Baltic amber. The males of Hesperinus electrus Skartveit, 2009 and Penthetria montanaregis Skartveit, 2009 are redescribed. A single, autoclave treated specimen of Penthetria sp. is described but not formally named. Plecia tenuicornis Skartveit, 2009 is found to be a synonym of Plecia hoffeinsorum Skartveit, 2009, this species is recorded for the first time from Rovno amber, and both sexes of the species redescribed. Additional specimens of Plecia clavifemur Skartveit, 2009 and Dilophus crassicornis Skartveit, 2009 are described. Two female specimens probably belonging to the species discussed as Dilophus sp. by Skartveit (2009) are described, but not formally named.

Highlights

Bibionid flies are a very abundant group in European Tertiary insect fossil deposits (e.g., Skartveit and Nel 2017), where they frequently make up a large percentage of the total insect specimens
While the fauna in Rovno amber is rather similar to the one in Baltic amber, suggesting they are of the same age and origin (e.g., Dlussky and Rasnitsyn 2009; Szwedo and Sontag 2013), some differences have been noted between the two palaeofaunas (Perkovsky et al 2007), with about 100 taxa found in Rovno amber not recorded from Baltic amber (Perkovsky et al 2010)
The poorly developed mouthparts suggest that this species did not feed in the adult stage, this may be a general trait for Hesperinus species as all seem to have very small mouthparts

Summary

Introduction

Bibionid flies are a very abundant group in European Tertiary insect fossil deposits (e.g., Skartveit and Nel 2017), where they frequently make up a large percentage of the total insect specimens. While the fauna in Rovno amber is rather similar to the one in Baltic amber, suggesting they are of the same age and origin (e.g., Dlussky and Rasnitsyn 2009; Szwedo and Sontag 2013), some differences have been noted between the two palaeofaunas (Perkovsky et al 2007), with about 100 taxa found in Rovno amber not recorded from Baltic amber (Perkovsky et al 2010). Bibionid flies have not previously been recorded from Rovno amber

Methods

Results

Conclusion