The Oldest Evolutionary Lineage of Trichoneura Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Limoniidae) and the First Evidence of This Genus in Cretaceous Spanish Amber.

Iwona Kania-Kłosok,Katarzyna Kopeć,Antonio Arillo,Wiesław Krzemiński

doi:10.3390/insects12050411

Iwona Kania-Kłosok, Katarzyna Kopeć + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050411

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Abstract

Simple SummaryA new established subgenus (genus Trichoneura, family Limoniidae) from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber represents the oldest lineage of the genus and exhibits a unique morphology of hypopygium characterized by a huge lobe on the gonocoxite. The discovery of this new subgenus sheds new light on the chronostratigraphic distribution and diversity of the genus Trichoneura and the evolution of the Limoniidae. The is oldest known species of Trichoneura and is important for understanding the evolution of this group of insects.A new subgenus Cretalinea subgen. nov. of Trichoneura (Diptera, Limoniidae) is established with one new species: Trichoneura (Cretalinea) xavieri subgen. et sp. nov. This is the first report of the genus Trichoneura in Spanish amber and the first record of the genus from the Lower Cretaceous period. The oldest described species of Trichoneura is compared with other species of the genus with particular reference to those known species from the Upper Cretaceous. A list and key of fossil species of Trichoneura are given.

Highlights

With regard to extant fauna, the genus Trichoneura Loew, 1850 [1] is sparse in its number of species and is found in three zoogeographical regions, primarily in the southern hemisphere
The genus Trichoneura is most rich in species in the Oriental region, where eight species of the genus have been recorded
Less abundantly they occur in the Afrotropical region, and rarely in Australia/Oceania where only one species has been reported [2,3]. This genus is represented in recent fauna by three subgenera: Ceratolimnobia Alexander, 1920 [4], Trichoneura Loew, 1850 [1] and Xipholimnobia Alexander, 1921 [5]

Summary

Introduction

With regard to extant fauna, the genus Trichoneura Loew, 1850 [1] is sparse in its number of species and is found in three zoogeographical regions, primarily in the southern hemisphere. The genus Trichoneura is most rich in species in the Oriental region, where eight species of the genus have been recorded. Less abundantly they occur in the Afrotropical region (four species), and rarely in Australia/Oceania where only one species has been reported [2,3]. This genus is represented in recent fauna by three subgenera: Ceratolimnobia Alexander, 1920 [4] (two species), Trichoneura Loew, 1850 [1] (one species) and Xipholimnobia Alexander, 1921 [5] (ten species). One species was previously known from the Cretaceous period, from Upper Cretaceous

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