Cormopsocus neli Hakim, Azar & Huang, 2021

HAKIM, MARINA, AZAR, DANY, FU, YAN-ZHE, CAI, CHEN-YANG & HUANG, DI-YING, 2021, A new cormopsocid from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha: Cormopsocidae), Palaeoentomology 4 (2), pp. 178-185 : 179-182

Cormopsocus neli Hakim, Azar & Huang sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6 )

Type material. Holotype specimen NIGP174914, possibly female, well-preserved.

Etymology. Named after our friend and colleague Professor André Nel (Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris), worldwide authority in palaeoentomology.

Diagnosis. Head dark with two whitish patches extending from the upper frontal part of the vertex till the half of the frons at the lower edge level of the compound eyes, and between the compound eyes and the ocelli area; longest antenna 29-segmented, distinctly longer than forewing, pedicel and scapus cylindrical; second palpomere the longest; forewing with dark pterostigma; basal part of area between Sc and C tinted; lower area surrounding CuP and A 1 tinted; hind wing with Sc welldeveloped, ending in distal part of anterior wing but not reaching margin; part of the wing area between Sc and C tinted.

Locality and horizon. Mid-Cretaceous, Tanai Village, Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar.

Description. Body 1.55 mm long, extensively and darkly pigmented, except for pale membranous regions ( Fig. 1 ).

Head ( Fig. 2A ) 0.41 mm long, 0.27 mm wide (0.37 mm wide including compound eyes); dark with two whitish patches extending from upper frontal part of vertex till half of frons at lower edge level of compound eyes, and between compound eyes and ocelli area; vertex strongly expanded dorsally, quadrate-shape with rounded edge apically and laterally; compound eyes welldeveloped, at nearly mid length of head, 0.12 mm long; postclypeus well bulged, bottom half exceeding bottom line of head capsule and located in front of oral region; anteclypeus present; three ocelli arranged on flat frons; longest antenna with 27 flagellomeres; maxillary palpus ( Fig. 2B ) four-segmented, 0.35 mm long, palpomere I, 0.02 mm long, II, 0.13 mm long, III, 0.07 mm long; terminal palpomere tapering apically, 0.13 mm long; labial palpus two-segmented.

Thorax. Prothorax small, pronotum dorsally prominent; pterothorax well-developed; forewing ( Fig. 3A ) transparent, 1.70 mm long, 0.63 mm wide, with dark pterostigma (Pt); basal part of wing area between Sc and C tinted; basal part of area surrounding CuP and A 1 tinted; Sc vein forming large arc; pterostigma trapezoid, R 1 -Rs crossvein arising from its postero-distal corner; Sc’ slightly directed backwards, reaching margin at 1.01 mm from wing base; R 1 reaching margin at 1.19 mm from base; R 2+3 and R 4+5 reaching margin at 1.44 and 1.58 mm respectively; M three-branched, M 3 separating from common stem M at 1.23 mm, fork of M 1 and M 2 at 1.38 mm, branches M 1, M 2 and M 3 reaching margin respectively at apex, 1.58 and 1.40 mm; areola postica (AP) free, broad, common stem CuA short, branched at 0.8 mm, CuA 1 vein weakly curved; CuP and A 1 veins separated at their apices; A 2 vein absent; wing-coupling structure composed of ca. 12 separate and almost straight spines ( Fig. 3A ); hind wing ( Fig. 3B ) transparent, 1.41 mm long and 0.40 mm wide, Sc well-developed, ending in distal part of anterior wing but not reaching margin; part of area between Sc and C tinted; basi-radial cell present; stems R and M fused in a short segment, 0.09 mm long; R 1 branching from common stem R+M at 0.56 mm from base, reaching margin at 0.90 mm; R 2+3 reaching margin at 1.30 mm and R 4+5 at apex; M two-branched, with M 1 reaching margin at 1.25 mm; M 2 reaching wing margin at 0.98 mm; A vein branching into two. Legs with tarsus three-segmented, basal tarsomere longer than middle + apical segments in all pairs; pretarsal claws symmetrical, nearly straight, with preapical tooth and no pulvillus ( Fig. 5A).

Abdomen ( Fig. 5B ) 0.82 mm long, 0.45 mm wide; terminalia with subgenital plate (?) large (hypandriumlike), covering the basal part of ovipositor ( Fig. 5C ); ovipositor (?) with ventral and dorsal valves reduced, external valves membranous, directed posteriorly.

Remarks. The coloration pattern observed on the membrane of one hind wing ( Fig. 4B ) is not present on the other; whereas, the same coloration pattern is visible on the membrane of both forewings. Another teratology is found in the fore legs ( Fig. 6B ), with one tarsus twosegmented (instead of three).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype. A, Habitus, dorsal view. B, Habitus, ventral view. C, Habitus, dorsal view, green light. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype. A, Details of head, dorsal view. B, Details of maxillary palpus. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype. A, Forewing. B, Hind wing. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for A; 0.2 mm for B.

FIGURE 4. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype, drawings. A, Forewing. B, Hind wing. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 5. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype. A, Details of pretarsal claws. B, Details of abdomen. C, Details of terminalia. Scale bars: 0.05 mm for A; 0.2 mm for B, C.

FIGURE 6. Cormopsocus neli sp. nov., holotype. A, Details of legs, ventral view. B, Teratology in fore legs (Left arrow, threesegmented; Right arrow, two-segmented. C, Details of hind tarsus. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for A; 0.2 mm for B, C.