Megaraphidia

Makarkin, Vladimir N. & Archibald, S. Bruce, 2014, A revision of the late Eocene snakeflies (Raphidioptera) of the Florissant Formation, Colorado, with special reference to the wing venation of the Raphidiomorpha, Zootaxa 3784 (4), pp. 401-444 : 418-420

Megaraphidia sp.

( Fig. 8 )

Raphidia pulveris Cockerell, 1914: 714 (partim; only hind wing); Carpenter 1936: 146, Fig. 9 (partim, only hind wing; as a synonym of Raphidia exhumata ).

Redescription. Hind wing 8.8 mm long as preserved (complete estimated length ca. 9.5 mm), 3.1 mm wide (length/width ratio 3.1). Costal space relatively broad. ScP relatively long; length from termination of ScP to pterostigma shorter than length of pterostigma. In subcostal space, two crossvein detected between ScP, RA; crossvein closing pterostigma proximally incurved. Pterostigma long. RA with three branches: incorporated branch very long and oblique; branch closing pterostigma distally smoothly curved; one branch distad pterostigma; portion of RA distad pterostigma long. Three crossveins between RA, RP; 2ra-rp located at level of termination of ScP; 3ra-rp within pterostigma, just distad its middle. Anterior trace of RP forked apically, with two branches proximad 3ra-rp, two distad. RP 1 deeply forked; anterior branch simple, posterior branch rather deeply forked; RP 2, RP 4 simple; RP 3 with deep narrow fork. One intraradial crossvein, between stem of RP, RP 1. Four crossveins between R, M: 1r-m very long, running nearly parallel to R connecting RP, M near its separating from R; 2r-m connects stem of RP, M; 3r-m connects RP 1, MA; 4r-m connects RP 1, anterior branch of MA. M forked slightly proximad origin of RP. MA deeply dichotomously (twice) forked. MP pectinately branched; anterior trace weakly zigzagged, simple; three pectinate branches deeply forked. Two intramedian crossveins. Anterior trace of CuA forked distally, with one simple branch. CuP simple, basally fused with AA1. AA1 with two simple branches.

Material examined. Specimen No. 3641a, b (part, counterpart) (collected by H. F. Wickham), deposited in MCZ. A well-preserved nearly complete hind wing. Verbatim label data associated with the part 3641a: [1] “Mus. Comp. Zoöl., Cambridge, Mass. / No. 3641 a b / Raphidia / pulveris Cock. / H. F. W. coll. Florissant”; [2] “3641 / type / Raphidia / pulveris Cock. / Florissant / Neuroptera : Raphididae [sic]”. The part has black ink writing on the rock that says “3641-a” and on the back “hind wing. / Raphidia / pulveris / Ckll”. Verbatim label data associated with the counterpart 3641b [3] “Mus. Comp. Zoöl., Cambridge, Mass. / No. 3641-b / Raphidia pulveris / Cock. / Scudder Collection Florissant, Colorado”; [4] same text as in the label [2], except “3641-b”. The counterpart has black ink writing on the rock that says “3641-b” and on the back “ Raphidia / pulveris / Ckll”.

Locality. Florissant: Wilson Ranch.

Remarks. Cockerell (1914) described Raphidia pulveris from two specimens: a forewing (MCZ 3040) and this hind wing (MCZ 3041). The hind wing is designated in one label as the [holo] type of Raphidia pulveris , although neither the part nor the counterpart has a red holotype label. However, Cockerell (1914) clearly indicated that “the upper wing is the type ” of this species (p. 715), i.e., MCZ 3040. This hind wing may, however, belong to either Megaraphidia exhumata or M. elegans , or to some other new species.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Megaraphidia sp. Specimen MCZ 3641. A, part (converted to right). B, counterpart. C, hind wing venation. Scale bar = 4 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 9. Pterostigma of Archiraphidia species. A – C, A. tumulata (Scudder, 1890): A, left wings. B, right forewing. C, right hind wing. D – F, A. tranquilla (Scudder, 1890): D, four wings of the holotype MCZ 446. E, four wings of MCZ 4137 (lectotype of A. eventa (Scudder, 1890 )); F, left wings of MCZ 253 (paralectotype of A. eventa). G, three wings of A.? somnolenta (Scudder, 1890). H, right forewing of A.? somnolenta. HW, hind wing; LFW, left forewing; RFW, right forewing. All wings are shown with apex to right and not to scale.