Ansoberotha jiewenae, Yang, Qiang, Shi, Chaofan & Ren, Dong, 2019

Yang, Qiang, Shi, Chaofan & Ren, Dong, 2019, A new genus and species of berothids (Insecta, Neuroptera) from the Late Cretaceous Myanmar amber, ZooKeys 864, pp. 99-109 : 101-104

Ansoberotha jiewenae gen. et sp. nov. Figures 1 , 2

Etymology.

The specific epithet is named after Ms Jiewen Zhao (Hunan, China), the daughter of this amber’s owner (Ms Dan Zuo). Her mother hopes that this honour will promote Jiewen’s interests in natural history.

Diagnosis.

As for the genus.

Holotype.

CNU-NEU-MA2018072, female, a nearly complete and well-preserved specimen.

Locality and horizon.

Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, northern Myanmar; lowermost Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous.

Description.

Holotype CNU-NEU-MA2018072. Total body length 4.0 mm. Head and body with numerous scattered, fine setae; head about as wide as long. Com pound eyes large. Antenna filiform, over 6.6 mm, with scattered setae all over; scape elongate, ca. 0.64 mm, almost 12 times as long as wide; pedicel as long as wide, slightly thicker than flagellum; flagellum with approximately 100 flagellomeres, the last few flagellomeres tapering. Pronotum elongate, narrower than head, about three times as long as wide; pro-, meso-, and metanotum with scattered, long, fine setae. Legs relatively long and slender, with numerous short setae intermixed with long setae. Forelegs: coxa elongated; femur long and slender; tibia slightly inflated nearly as long as femur; basitarsus nearly three times as long as the second tarsomere, the last four tarsomeres of the same length, each tarsomeres with two ended spur. Mid- and hind legs coxa coniform, thicker than forelegs. Each leg with two pretarsal claws, one big arolium. Abdomen nine segments, with scattered short setae; gonapophysis lateralis elongate.

Forewing length 5.5 mm, width 1.5 mm (left forewing/LFW); length 4.9 mm, width 1.8 mm (right forewing/RFW); elongated ovoid, apex rounded, with dense relatively short setae on veins and longer setae on margins; trichosors prominent along entire wing margin. Humeral vein crossvein-like; presumable ScA not detected; costal space relatively broad; most subcostal veinlets simple, not forked, only three (LFW) or four (RFW) distal apex subcostal veinlets forked once, pterostigma not present. ScP and RA fused distally, entering margin before wing apex; ScP+RA with five forked veinlets. Subcostal space slightly narrower than costal space, basally narrowed; only one sc-r present in right forewing, left forewing not detected due to preservation; four ra-rp crossveins located proximal to the fusion of ScP and RA. RP separated from R distal to sc-r, with six (LFW) or five (RFW) branches; RP4 (LFW) dichotomously forked, RP3 (RFW) pectinately forked, with three branches; only one crossveins detected between RP1, RP2 in LFW. M divided into MA and MP distal to the origin of RP and proximal to the separation of RP1 from RP stem, one ma-mp crossvein present; MA distally pectinately forked, with three branches; MP pectinately forked, with seven (LFW) or six (RFW) branches; two crossveins between stem RP, MA and RP1, MA. Cu divided into CuA and CuP near wing base, with one m-cu detected in LFW, two in RFW; CuA pectinately forked, with five (LFW) or six (RFW) distal forked branches; CuP pectinately forked, with three or four simple branches, one crossvein between CuA, CuP in RFW detected. AA1 with a distal fork; AA2, AA3 not detected; no crossveins detected between AA region. Membrane without colour pattern.

Hind wing elongate, length 5.1 mm, width 1.5 mm (left hind wing/LHW); length 5.2 mm, width 1.5 mm (right hind wing/RHW). Trichosors prominent along entire wing margin. Costal space narrow, dilated distal to the fusion of ScP and RA; subcostal veinlets simple, widely spaced, pterostigma not present. Subcostal space no crossveins detected. ScP and RA fused distally, entering margin before wing apex; ScP+RA with seven (LHW) or five (RHW) veinlets, most with distal fork. RA space wider than subcostal space, with two (LHW) or three (RHW) ra-rp located proximal to the fusion of ScP and RA. RP originated slightly distal to wing base, with five pectinate branches, most forked distally; RP4 of LHW, RP3 of RHW dichotomously forked distally; no crossveins between RP branches; one r-m between RP stem and MA. M forked distal to origin of RP and proximal to the origin of RP1; MA dichotomously branched distally; MP pectinately forked, with six (LHW) or five (RHW) branches, most with distal fork; one ma-mp between MA and MP. Cu divided into CuA and CuP near wing base; with two m-cu detected, one near wing base, another located between RP and CuA branches; CuA long, parallel with the posterior margin, pectinately branched with eight (LHW) or 10 (RHW) simple branches; CuP with three distal simple pectinate branches; one oblique cua-cup between CuA stem and diatal branch of CuP. AA1 with a distal fork; AA2 simple; AA3 not detected; no crossveins detected between AA region. Membrane without colour pattern.

Remarks.

Ansoberotha gen. nov. is distinctly different from the other Burmese amber berothid genera by having following characters: (1) Ansoberotha gen. nov. antenna is very long, over 6.6 mm, longer than body or forewings; the scape is elongate, ca. 0.64 mm, almost 12 times as long as wide; the flagellum with approximately 100 flagellomeres; other genera without such long antenna, scape, or so many flagellomeres; (2) the forewing of Ansoberotha gen. nov. with four ra-rp; Ethiroberotha and Protoberotha without ra-rp; Haploberotha and Maculaberotha with only one ra-rp; Jersiberotha , Iceloberotha , Telistoberotha , and Dasyberotha with two ra-rp; (3) the forewing MP and CuA are pectinately branched, with no less than five branches; (4) the hind wing of Ansoberotha gen. nov. with one oblique cua-cup between CuA stem and the distal branch of CuP; other genera do not have this crossvein.

Figures

Figure 1. Ansoberotha jiewenae gen. et sp. nov., holotype CNU-NEU-MA 2018072 A photograph of holotype B detailed photograph of antenna, arrow shows the long scape C detailed photograph of abdomen, arrow shows the gonapophysis lateralis. Scale bars 2 mm (A) and 1 mm (B, C).

Figure 2. Ansoberotha jiewenae gen. et sp. nov., holotype CNU-NEU-MA 2018072 A, B photograph of left forewing and line drawing C, D photograph of right forewing and line drawing E, F photograph of left hind wing and line drawing G, H photograph of right hind wing and line drawing. Scale bars 1 mm.