New dipteromantispids (Insecta: Neuroptera: Dipteromantispidae) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

Abstract

A new genus and two new species of Dipteromantispidae, an extinct raptorial family of Mantispoidea, are described from mid-Cretaceous (lowermost Cenomanian) Myanmar amber. The forewing of Paradipteromantispa polyneura gen. et sp. nov. possesses trichosors distally, bifurcate humeral veinlet, 1ma-mp connecting RP + MA and MP1, which are distinctive but probably plesiomorphic character states in Dipteromantispidae. The new genus also shares some characters with Dipteromantispa brevisubcosta Makarkin, Yang & Ren, 2013, i.e. the large body size, the medially dilated forewing costal space, and the forewing 1ma-mp distad the first branching point of MP. Kurtodipteromantispa xiai sp. nov. is separated from K. zhuodei Li & Liu, 2020 by the absence of forewing rp-ma and 2ma-mp, and the male genitalia with posterolaterally protruding tergum 9. Based on new materials with well-preserved forelegs, some fine structures on foreleg previously unknown in dipteromantispids are reported. Our finding provides new morphological evidence for understanding the placement of Dipteromantispidae in Mantispoidea.