Elektrithone expectata, Makarkin, Vladimir N., Wedmann, Sonja & Weiterschan, Thomas, 2014

Makarkin, Vladimir N., Wedmann, Sonja & Weiterschan, Thomas, 2014, First record of the family Ithonidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber, Zootaxa 3796 (2), pp. 385-393 : 388-389

Elektrithone expectata sp. nov.

Figs 1–3

Holotype. Specimen SMF Be 2374, deposited in Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt ( SMF, Frankfurt am Main, Germany); a proximal two thirds and apical fragment of a forewing; a fragment of the anterior portion of a hind wing in the same amber piece; Baltic amber (precise collecting locality is unknown).

Etymology. From the Latin adjective expectatus, expected, in reference to the long-expected finding of an ithonid in Baltic amber.

Description. Forewing ca. 19 mm long as preserved (estimated complete length ca. 30 mm); ca. 10 mm wide as preserved (measured at widest part). Trichosors prominent along apical-most portion of wing; weakly developed along costal and posterior margins. Costal space very broad basally. All proximal subcostal veinlets (including branches of humeral veinlets) forked very shallowly, two preserved subcostal veinlets additionally more deeply forked. Humeral veinlet (i.e., basal-most subcostal veinlet) recurrent, branched with three branches (one longest deeply forked, two shorter with only shallow forks). ScA distinct, rather stout, terminated on ScP before humeral veinlet. No costal crossveins present in proximal part of wing. Subcostal space moderately broad; basal subcostal crossvein (1scp-r) oblique, located slightly distad origin of RP; other crossveins absent in proximal part of space. RA space with one crossvein, located distal to RP 2 origin. RP originates rather near wing base, with three pectinate branches preserved. M not fused basally with R, forked proximal of RP 1 origin. MA deeply dichotomously branched distally. MP pectinately branched, with three long branches, which are shallowly dichotomously forked, and one shorter branch. Cu dividing into CuA and CuP near wing base, proximal to origin of RP. CuA rather long, pectinately branched, with five branches, each dichotomously (some deeply) branched. CuP short, deeply forked; each branch with few branches. AA1 short, deeply forked (its distal part not preserved). AA2, AA3 not preserved. Majority of veins of MP to CuP shallowly forked near hind margin. Crossveins in proximal part of forewing posterior to RP stem scarce: basal crossvein between R and M long, oblique, connecting RP with MA just before origin of RP 1; two parallel gradate series in radial to intramedial spaces (five crossveins preserved in inner series anterior to CuA, two in outer series anterior to MP); four crossveins in mediocubital space (including one belonging to inner gradate series); one crossvein in intracubital space connecting Cu with CuP before origin of CuA1. Color pattern not detected; wing probably with uncolored (or faintly colored) membrane.

Hind wing only very fragmentarily preserved; costal space relatively broad, with rather long, closely spaced subcostal veinlets, partly forked; trichosores weakly developed.

Remarks. The forewing is preserved in two parts. The basal two thirds are well preserved with the venation clearly visible; a deep rupture separates it from the wing tip. This apical part is small and strongly folded. Its probable connection to the basal part cannot be traced entirely, therefore its venation can not be determined with certainty.

The small hind wing fragment is located in its original place showing that the specimen became embedded into the resin with an intact thorax, possibly alive.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Elektrithone expectata gen. et sp. nov. Photograph of the holotype SMF Be 2374. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Elektrithone expectata gen. et sp. nov., holotype SMF Be 2374. A, apical portion of the forewing. B, basal portion of the forewing. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Elektrithone expectata gen. et sp. nov. Drawing of the preserved venation of the holotype SMF Be 2374 (converted to standard right view). A, proximal portion of the forewing. B, apical portion of the forewing (reconstructed wing shape). C, preserved fragment of the costal space of the hind wing. Scale bar = 5 mm.