Crephlebia gen. nov., a new mayfly genus (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

Abstract

A new mayfly genus and species of the family Leptophlebiidae, Crephlebia zhoui gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on the examination of a male adult specimen preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. The new mayfly exhibits close resemblance to the extant genus Dipterophlebiodes Demoulin, 1954, belonging to the subfamily Leptophlebiinae. This discovery enhances our understanding of the morphology and diversity of ancient leptophlebiids within the mid-Cretaceous Burmese forest. Fossil records of Cretaceous leptophlebiids in Siberia, Lebanon, and New Jersey indicate a palearctic distribution, contrasting with their cosmopolitan extant relatives. This discrepancy raises questions about factors influencing mayfly geography during the Cretaceous and suggests potential bias in understanding ancient insect distributions due to limited findings in the southern hemisphere.