Symphrasites, 2007

Wedmann, Sonja & Makarkin, Vladimir N., 2007, A new genus of Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Eocene of Germany, with a review of the fossil record and palaeobiogeography of the family, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149 (4), pp. 701-716 : 704-705

SYMPHRASITES EOCENICUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 2–4 )

Etymology: From the Eocene, in reference to the age of the type specimen.

Holotype: Specimen MeI 8384, deposited in FIS. An incomplete, partly folded, well-preserved forewing.

Type locality and horizon: Messel pit near Darmstadt , Hesse, Germany; grid square E8/9. Messel Formation, lower Middle Eocene (lowermost Lutetian, MP 11 ), from +0.575 to + 0.77 m above local marker horizon alpha .

Diagnosis: Same as for Symphrasites gen. nov.

Description: Forewing with rounded apex, c. 14–15 mm long (estimated, 12 mm preserved), c. 5.6–5.7 mm wide (estimated, 4.5 mm preserved). Trichosors present but indistinct, restricted mainly to apicalmost portion of wing margin ( Fig. 4 ). Costal space narrowed towards wing apex. Subcostal veinlets simple, straight, oblique, and widely spaced. Sc stout, appears atrophied after distal subcostal crossvein (3sc-r), apparently entering wing margin within pterostigma. Pterostigma distinct, pale, strongly haired, situated between R1 and costal margin; incorporated veinlets almost invisible, rows of macrotrichia not distinct. Subcostal space rather narrow, not dilated towards apex; three crossveins detected: two intermediate (2sc-r), closely spaced, situated after origin of Rs, one distal (3sc-r). R1 entering margin slightly before wing apex, with at least eight veinlets distal to pterostigma, all forked. Space between R1 and costal margin distal to pterostigma comparatively broad. Origin of Rs far removed from wing base. R1 space rather narrow, with two rather short crossveins. Rs with 11 branches, all forked (mainly deeply). Single gradate series of crossveins continuing from most distal branch of Rs to CuP, with 14 crossveins. Crossvein 1r-m connects stem of Rs apparently with stem of M slightly proximal to primary fork; crossvein 2r-m present, connects Rs1 and MA. Origin of M not preserved; basalmost parts of MA and MP diverged at angle more than 45°, distal to origin of Rs; MA straight before gradate series, twice forked distally; MP deeply forks slightly distal to crossvein 2m-cu, so MP has two long branches, each of which forked twice distally. Origin, primary forking of Cu not preserved. CuA with comparatively few branches, apparently with three branches. CuP deeply forked once, its branches closely spaced, nearly parallel. Anal area very crumpled. Wing membrane without maculation.

Remarks: The two closely spaced intermediate crossveins in the subcostal space (both named here 2sc-r) may present an anomaly caused apparently by the duplication of this crossvein. Such duplications often occur, for example, in the Hemerobiidae (e.g. Makarkin, 1995), but apparently were not reported hitherto in the Mantispidae . On the other hand, this part of the wing is not well preserved, and it is very difficult to discern the more basal vein 2sc-r in the fossil (compare Fig. 3 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Symphrasites eocenicus gen. et sp. nov., holotype MeI 8384. A, photograph. B, drawing of the forewing. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 3. Symphrasites eocenicus gen. et sp. nov. Reconstruction of the forewing venation of the holotype FIS MeI 8384. All unassignable veins are omitted in the drawing. C, costa; CuA, anterior cubitus; CuP, posterior cubitus; MA and MP, anterior and posterior branches of media; pt, pterostigma; R, radius; R1, first branch of radius; Rs, radial sector; Sc, subcosta. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 4. Apical portion of forewing margin of Symphrasites eocenicus showing trichosors (arrows). Scale bar = 100 µm. Laser scanning photograph.