Cretagaster, Dikow & Grimaldi, 2014

Dikow, Torsten & Grimaldi, David A., 2014, Robber flies in Cretaceous ambers (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae), American Museum Novitates 3799, pp. 1-19 : 11

† Cretagaster ,

ZooBank LSID: 6840A2DA-5FC9-4C47-8 FE7-33FD213862E0

(http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6840A2DA-5FC9-4C47-8FE7 -33FD213862E0).

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin creta, “chalk” root of the word Cretaceous), and Greek gaster, “stomach, belly,” the latter a common suffix of generic names for slender Leptogastrinae. The generic name, to be treated as masculine, refers to the Cretaceous age of this currently oldest known Leptogastrinae.

TYPE SPECIES: † Cretagaster raritanensis , new species, by monotypy.

DIAGNOSIS: Small asilid flies with sparsely developed mystax (arranged in a single row); facial swelling not developed; hypopharynx with setalike spicules spaced far apart on dorsolateral surface; antennal base elevated above eye margin in lateral view; antennal stylus composed of two elements (short proximal element and longer distal element with apical setalike sensory element); supraalar (spa) and postalar (pal) setae present; alula of wing reduced in size to small lobe.