Perspicuusoperlidae, Chen, 2022

Chen, Zhi-Teng, 2022, Bizarre egg structure uncovers a new family of Plecoptera (Insecta) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Fossil Record 25 (1), pp. 75-82 : 75

Perspicuusoperlidae fam. nov.

Type genus.

Perspicuusoperla gen. nov.

Etymology.

The first part of the compound noun refers to the transparent egg and is derived from Latin ‘perspicuus’; the second part ‘perlidae’ refers to the stonefly family Perlidae Latreille, 1802.

Diagnosis.

Triocellate; maxillary palp slender, apical segment unmodified; labial palp short, apical segment slightly shortened; cervical gills invisible. Legs with two giant apical tibial spurs; first two tarsal segments shortest, with developed euplantulae; arolium without setae. In forewings, ScP joining into RA after ra-rp; h stout and with regular obliquity; RA not reaching wing apex; RP originating at basal ⅓ of RA and with three branches; two crossveins present between RA and RP; CuA with four branches, two posterior branches fused basally; CuP and AA1 simple; AA2 appears unforked and abruptly curved backwards at apical half; hind wings with extremely broad and multifolded anal area. Abdominal segments unmodified; paraprocts sclerotized and thumb-shaped; subgenital plate broad, exceeding posterior margin of tergum 10. Cerci slender, membranous and with multiple segments. Egg mass with dozens of uniformly oriented cylindrical eggs; each egg with very short collar, membranous and transparent chorion, without anchor and pedicel.