New representative of the family Panorpodidae (Insecta, Mecoptera) from Eocene Baltic Amber with a key to fossil species of genus Panorpodes

Abstract

Panorpodidae (short-faced scorpionflies) is a species-poor family of scorpionflies (Mecoptera). Fossils are extremely rare but indicate that this group was diverse in the past. Up to now, three species of the genus Panorpodes have been described from Eocene Baltic amber, as well as a possible panorpodid from the Lower Eocene of Patagonia. Panorpodes gedanensis sp. n. is the fourth species to be recognised in amber material. Wing markings are the most important character in the taxonomy of fossil short-faced scorpionflies. The new species described here shows a new pattern of markings – five dark spots and a terminal band. The Eocene representatives of the genus Panorpodes display different patterns of wing markings: highly transparent wings in P. brevicauda (Hagen, 1856), transparent wings with dark bands and spots in P. weitschati Soszynska-Maj and Krzeminski, 2013, narrow transparent bands on a dark background in P. hageni Carpenter, 1954 and regular spots in P. gedanensis sp. n. This past diversity and distribution emphasises the relictual status of extant Panorpodidae. A key to fossil species of the genus Panorpodes based on characters of the forewing is provided.