Fossil Strepsiptera (Insecta) of the Poinar Amber Collection with description of one new genus and 12 new neotropical species in the families Protelencholacidae, Elenchidae, and Myrmecolacidae

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study of 21 male Strepsiptera from the Poinar amber collection is reported. Included are 17 specimens in Dominican amber, 3 in Baltic amber, and one from copal near the village of Cotui in the Dominican Republic. Among the Dominican amber and Cotui specimens are: one new genus and species in the family Protelencholacidae, one new species of Elencholax (Elenchidae), a first record for the genus in the Neotropics. Also, of Dominican origin are 10 new species of Myrmecolacidae: 4 Caenocholax, 3 Stichotrema, 2 Myrmecolax, and 1 Lychnocolax. One male Caenocholax was imbedded adjacent to an alate Camponotus sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with an abdominal protrusion that under close examination proved to be a female cephalothorax. In reviewing the species of Caenocholax for this paper we reinstated the validity of C. brasiliensis as a species distinct from C. fenyesi sensu lato. The three Baltic pieces contained two species of Palaeomyrmecolax, that had been previous reported. This study contributes additional information for use in support of current hypotheses of Strepsiptera evolution and it increases significantly the record of myrmecolacid diversity in the Neotropical mid-Tertiary, expands the geographic range of one genus of Elenchidae, and extends the scope of Protelencolacidae.