New dustywings (Neuroptera, Coniopterygidae) from mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar reveal spectacular diversity.

Dominika Ružičková,Jakub Prokop,André Nel

doi:10.3897/zookeys.827.31961

Abstract

Two new genera and species of Coniopterygidae (Neuroptera) are described and illustrated from mid Cretaceous (Cenomanian) amber of Myanmar. Mulleroconishyalinagen. n. et sp. n., attributed to the Coniopteryginae, bears a unique combination of venation characters and an abdomen without plicatures. The second new genus, attributed to the Aleuropteryginae, i.e. Palaeoconisazarigen. n. et sp. n., displays a unique pattern of crossveins 1m-cua and 2mp2-cua, with the latter crossing the pigmented spot. A check-list of all fossil genera and species of Coniopterygidae is provided.

Highlights

IntroductionThe family comprises 571 species assigned to 23 genera (Engel et al 2018)
Neuroptera is one of few insect orders with a remarkably rich fossil history and spectacular diversity of morphotypes during the Mesozoic
The record of dustywings is mainly known from amber inclusions of the following localities: Lower Cretaceous (Lebanon – Hammana (Neocomian), Spain – Cantabria (Albian), France – Charente – Maritime (Albian); Upper Cretaceous (Myanmar – Hukawng Valley (Cenomanian), U.S.A. – New Jersey, (Turonian), Russia – Taimyr Peninsula, (Cenomanian to Santonian), Canada – Alberta (Campanian); Eocene – India – Gujarat (Ypresian), France – Oise, Le Quesnoys (Ypresian), Baltic (Late Eocene), Ukraine – Rovno (Late Eocene); and Miocene – Dominican Republic (Burdigalian)

Summary

Introduction

The family comprises 571 species assigned to 23 genera (Engel et al 2018) They are divided into the three Recent subfamilies: Aleuropteryginae, Coniopteryginae, and Brucheiserinae, along with a single fossil one, Cretaconiopteryginae (Liu and Lu 2017). That the inclusions of dustywings in Burmese amber are considerably rare, six species assigned to five genera have been described so far (Ross 2018). The subfamily Coniopteryginae has only two recorded genera and Brucheiserinae is still without any fossil evidence (Perrichot et al 2014; Engel 2004, 2016; Makarkin 2016; Liu and Lu 2017, see Table 1)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion