First caddisflies (Trichoptera) in Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber

Abstract

ABSTRACTLebanese amber contains a diverse biota from the Lower Cretaceous, and more than 150 families of arthropods have been reported as inclusions. Amongst these, caddisflies (Trichoptera) are very scarce inclusions, consisting of a few indeterminate fragments and only two inclusions that permit clear descriptions of new species. We describe the first two Trichoptera species from Lebanese amber, belonging respectively to Dipseudopsidae (Phylocentropus succinolebanensis n. sp.) and Ecnomidae (Ecnomus cretacia n. sp.). Previously, the oldest fossil representatives of both families were known from the Upper Cretaceous amber of New Jersey for Dipseudopsidae and from the Eocene Baltic amber for Ecnomidae.