Alavesia myanmarensis Jouault, Ngô-Muller, and Nel

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Grimaldi, David A., 2020, Cretaceous diversity of the relict genus Alavesia Waters and Arillo (Diptera: Empidoidea: Atelestidae), American Museum Novitates 2020 (3961), pp. 1-40 : 28-29

Alavesia myanmarensis Jouault, Ngô-Muller, and Nel

Figures 1C , 2C , 12D

Alavesia myanmarensis Jouault, Ngô-Muller, and Nel in Jouault et al., 2020: 205.

Alavesia n. sp. Grimaldi et al., 2002: 59, fig. 40a, b.

DIAGNOSIS: A short species (fig. 12D) with a short cell dm and strongly curved and divergent M 1+2. Differs from A. brevipennea by larger size (wing length: 1.1 mm vs. 0.75 mm); M 4 arched; postpedicel straplike, tapered on apical fourth, length of stylus to postpedical 0.32.

REDESCRIPTION: Male. Coloration not preserved. Head: Scape and pedicel quadrate, subequal in size and length. Postpedicel elongate, straplike (fig. 1C), L/ W 5.5, tapered on apical fourth; stylus short, 0.32 × length of postpedicel, with two basal articles, without apical flaglike expansion. Mouthparts very short; palpus short, not projecting.

Thorax: Chaetotaxy thickened, in numerous rows (not clearly visible): postpronotum and notopleuron damaged; 1 postalar seta; 2 pairs of scutellar setae.

Legs: Most setae thickened. Forecoxa with short erect anterior setae; anteroapical setae longer and stouter. Forefemur with anteroventral and posteroventral row of short, slender setae. Mid and hind coxae with 2–3 stout lateral setae on apical half. Tibiae with biserial row of short, stout ventral setae; apex of tibiae with long, apical ventral seta; hind tibia with several dorsal setae, length about half width of tibia.

Wing: Length ~ 1.1 mm (base obscured) (fig. 2C): Costa terminating slightly beyond M 1+2; Sc nearly reaching costal margin; R 1 distinctly preapically arched to costa; R 4+5 closely associated with M 1+2, divergent apically; M 1+2 strongly curved and divergent from R 4+5 distally; cell dm short, crossvein r-m nearly opposite apex of cell bm; M 4 arched to wing margin; apex of M 4 closer to CuA+CuP than M 1+2; veins at base of wing difficult to observe.

Abdomen: Setae short, without distinct posteromarginal setae. Segments 1–5 broad. Terminalia with paired, subapical sickle-shaped projections, probably surstyli.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Male, AMNH Bu-496 ( AMNH).

REMARKS: The male terminalia of this species was described in detail by Zhang et al. (2020).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Wings of six species of Alavesia in Burmese amber. All are males, to the same scale. Specimens: A. USNM PAL 726867. B. AMNH Bu-494. C. AMNH Bu-496. D. USNM PAL 726868. E. AMNH Bu-1476. F. JZC Bu-556.

FIGURE 12. Alavesia spp. in Burmese amber. A. A. angusta, USNM PAL 726867. B. Drawing of A. brevipennae, AMNH Bu-494. C. Photomicrograph of A. brevipennae, AMNH Bu-494. D. A. myanmarensis, AMNH Bu-496.

FIGURE. 1. Antennae of Burmese amber Alavesia species, lateral views. All are males except N, O, P. Some antennae were reversed in direction for optimal comparison; longicornuta and longistylata are slightly reconstructed to account for curvature of the stylus. All are to the same scale. Specimen numbers: A. USNM PAL 726867. B. AMNH Bu-494. C. AMNH Bu-496. D. USNM PAL 726868. E. AMNH Bu-KL2-7. F. AMNH Bu-1476. G. JZC Bu-556 (AMNH). H. USNM PAL 726872. K. USNM PAL 726869. L. AMNH Bu-KL7-18. M. JZC Bu-282. N. Undetermined species. O. A. zigrasi. P. A. zigrasi.