Abstract
A new fossil species, Protanthomyza grimaldiisp. nov. (Diptera, Anthomyzidae), is described from Baltic amber (Eocene, 48–34 Ma) based on two (male and female) inclusions. It is the ninth species of the †genus Protanthomyza Hennig, 1965 and †subfamily Protanthomyzinae Roháček, 1998. Adult morphology of P. grimaldiisp. nov. revealed that the rich chaetotaxy of the thoracic pleuron, two anal veins and presence of the anteroventral process of the epandrium are plausibly shared by all species of Protanthomyza. Relationships of the new species, which belongs to a group lacking the ctenidial spine on the fore femur, are discussed.
Highlights
Eight named species of this genus are currently recognized, viz. P. collarti Hennig, 1965, P. hennigi Roháček, 2013, P. hoffeinsorum Roháček, 2013, P. krylovi Roháček, 2013, P. loewi Roháček, 2013, P. meunieri Roháček, 2013, P. presli Roháček, 2013 and P. tschirnhausi Roháček, 2013, all of which were treated in detail by Roháček (2013a)
Protanthomyza grimaldii sp. nov. was previously recognized as a new species by Roháček (2013a: 451) but left unnamed because of insufficient material
Thanks to the efforts of Christel Hoffeins, a male specimen conspecific with this female was recently obtained for examination and enabled the description and naming of this species. This is the third species of Protanthomyza where both sexes are known; formerly, the male and female were described only in P. krylovi (1 male and 2 females found in one piece of Baltic amber) and P. tschirnhausi (1 male and 1 female in separate pieces of Bitterfeld amber), see Roháček (2013a)
Summary
Fossil taxa of Anthomyzidae (Diptera) were reviewed by Roháček (2013a), with one species subsequently added (Roháček 2014). Roháček (2013a: 451) presented the diagnosis of one more new species of Protanthomyza which was left unnamed due to insufficient material (a single female with some parts of the body obscured) This unnamed species was considered distinctly different from all other known members of the genus and, it was counted among them for the estimation of species diversity of Anthomyzidae in the Eocene Baltic amber forest ecosystem (Roháček 2013a: 470). Mrs Christel Hoffeins purchased a nicely preserved Protanthomyza inclusion and provided it for study Detailed examination of this specimen revealed it to be the formerly unknown male conspecific with the unnamed “Protanthomyza sp. To supplement the latter monographic treatment, this new species is described in detail below, including the re-examination of the above female specimen This is only the third fossil species of Protanthomyza (and the fourth of all ancient Anthomyzidae) in which both sexes are known
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