Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890

Makarkin, Vladimir N., Antell, Gwen S. & Archibald, S. Bruce, 2022, A revision of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) from the late Eocene Florissant Formation Colorado, with description of new species, Zootaxa 5133 (3), pp. 301-345 : 335-340

Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890

Figs 24–28

Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890: 169 , 171, 172, Pl. 14, Figs 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 ; Scudder 1891: 380; Handlirsch 1906–1908 [1907]: 909; Carpenter 1935: 267, Fig. 2 [inadvertently transposed as Fig. 7 ]; Adams 1967: 232; Schlüter 1982: 261; Schlüter, 1984: 4; Martins-Neto & Vulcano 1989: 189, 190; Séméria & Nel 1990: 31; Willmann 1993: 244; Meyer 2003: 208; Nel et al. 2005: 67; Makarkin & Archibald 2013: 143; Archibald & Makarkin 2015: 361.

Paleochrysa fracta (non Cockerell, 1914): Adams 1957: 71.

Type material. Lectotype (designated here): MCZ 241 (Scudder’s no. 670). A complete specimen preserved in dorsal aspect; left wings crumpled. Verbatim label data [typed]: (1) “Mus. Comparative Zoölogy, Cambridge / No. 241/ Tribochrysa firmata Scud / Florissant Miocene”; (2) [handwritten]: “ 241 type Tribochrysa firmata Scud. / Florissant / Neuroptera : Chrysopidae ”. The specimen has black ink writing on the rock that says “Scud. no. 670 / 241”, and a red paper label glued to the rock that says “Type.”.

Paralectotype (designated here): MCZ 4127 (Scudder’s no. 8792). An almost complete specimen in ventral aspect; right wings crumpled. Verbatim label data [typed and handwritten]: “(1) “Mus. Comp. Zoöl. Cambridge, Mass. / No. 4127 / Tribochrysa firmata / Scud. / Florissant”; (2) [handwritten]: “4127 type Tribochrysa firmata Scud. / Florissant / Neuroptera ”. The specimen has red ink writing on the rock that says “8792.”, and a red paper label glued to the rock that says “Type. 4127”.

Both fossils are coated with Canada balsam.

Type locality and horizon. USA: Colorado: Teller County: Florissant (precise collecting locality unknown); Eocene, late Priabonian; Florissant Formation.

Diagnosis. See diagnosis for Tribochrysa inaequalis .

Redescription. Lectotype MCZ 241 ( Figs 24 , 25 ). Head transverse in dorsal view; eye ca. 0.4 mm in diameter. Antennae thin, shorter than forewing (9.3 mm long); scapus enlarged, cone-shaped. Thorax, legs, abdomen poorly preserved.

Forewing 11 mm long, 3.8 mm wide (length to width ratio 2.89). Costal space relatively narrow. Subcostal veinlets simple proximad pterostigmal region, widely spaced. Pterostigma indistinct. Distal part of Sc not discernible. Subcostal space narrow; subcostal crossveins not preserved. RA long, ending on margin slightly proximad wing apex. RA with eight crossveins. RP originating relatively far from wing base (at ca. 0.27 complete length). Anterior trace of RP zigzagged, forked distally; with eight branches, five proximal forked, three distal simple. Basal crossvein between RP, M (1r-m) rather long, connecting anterior trace of RP, MA within im at nearly one-third length. M appears fused with R basally; sigmoid proximad fork; dividing to MA, MP slightly distad level of origin of RP. MA, MP strongly curved; MA rather shallowly forked distad Psc; MP deeply forked at Psc. Crossvein between MA, MP (1im) rather long. Im elongate, slightly divergent distally (length/width 3.42). Psm poorly developed, strongly zigzagged. Crossvein 2m-cu very long, connecting im, CuA at nearly proximal one-fifths im length. CuA probably with three simple branches. Psc rather into well developed, slightly zigzagged. CuP deeply forked. Crossvein 2icu connecting CuA, anterior branch of CuP opposite 2m-cu. 1c: 2c length ratio 0.35:1. A1, A2 simple. Two gradate series of crossveins: inner series arranged in strongly broken line, with eight crossveins distad MA; outer series arranged in almost smooth line with eight crossveins distad RP1.

Hind wing ca. 10 mm long, ca. 3.4 mm wide. Costal space narrow. Subcostal veinlets simple proximad pterostigmal region, very widely spaced. Sc poorly preserved distally. Subcostal space very narrow; crossveins not discernible. Pterostigma indistinct. RA ending on margin near wing apex. RA with eight crossveins. Anterior trace of RP zigzagged; with eight branches (six proximal forked, two distal simple). Psm rather well developed. MA basally crossvein-like, then fused with RP for long distance, then strongly zigzagged, deeply forked distad Psc. MP nearly straight proximad fusion with CuA, then slightly zigzagged, deeply forked at Psc. Proximal crossvein between MA, MP (1im) long. CuA pectinate, fused with MP for rather short distance; with three simple branches proximad fusion. CuP simple. Crossvein 1cu long. A1, A2 simple. Two gradate series of crossveins: inner series arranged in strongly broken line, with seven crossveins distad MA; outer series arranged in smooth line with seven crossveins distad RP1.

Paralectotype MCZ 4127 ( Figs 26–28 ). Male (?). Body 7 mm long. Head very poorly preserved, eye ca. 0.3 mm in diameter. Antennae thin, 6.3 mm as preserved; scapus enlarged, cone-shaped. Thorax poorly preserved. Legs not preserved. Abdomen: presumable S8+9 well preserved, short (in ventral view) ( Fig. 26 ).

Forewing ca. 8.5 mm long, ca. 3.2 mm wide (length to width ratio 2.66). Costal space relatively narrow. Subcostal veinlets simple proximad pterostigmal region, widely spaced. Pterostigma indistinct. Distal part of Sc not discernible. Subcostal space narrow; crossveins not preserved. RA ending on margin near wing apex. RA with eight crossveins. RP originating far from wing base (at ca. 0.29 complete length). Anterior trace of RP zigzagged; with eight branches, six proximal forked, two distal simple. Basal crossvein between RP, M (1r-m) long, connecting anterior trace of RP, MA within im at ca. proximal one-fifths of its length. M dividing to MA, MP distad level of origin of RP. MA, MP strongly curved; MP deeply forked at Psc. Crossvein between MA, MP (1im) rather long. Im elongate, markedly divergent distally (length/width ratio 4.35). Psm poorly developed, strongly zigzagged. Crossvein 2m-cu very long, connecting im, CuA at ca. proximal one-twelfths im length. CuA probably with three simple branches. Psc well developed, slightly zigzagged distally. CuP deeply forked. Crossvein 2icu connecting CuA, anterior branch of CuP slightly proximad 2m-cu. CuA, A1 closely approaching for short distance. A1, A2 simple. Crossvein between A1, A2 rather long. Two gradate series of crossveins: inner series arranged in strongly broken line, with eight crossveins distad MA; outer series arranged in smooth line, with seven crossveins distad RP1.

Hind wing ca. 7.5 mm long, ca. 2.7 mm wide. Costal space, subcostal veinlets poorly preserved. Subcostal spaces narrow, crossveins not discernible. Pterostigma indistinct. RA ending on margin at nearly wing apex. RA space with eight crossveins. Anterior trace of RP zigzagged; with eight branches (five proximal forked, three distal simple). Psm rather well developed. MA basally oblique, crossvein-like, then fused with RP for long distance, then strongly zigzagged, deeply forked distad Psc. MP straight proximad fusion with CuA, then slightly zigzagged, deeply forked at Psc. Proximal crossvein between MA, MP (1im) long. CuA pectinate, fused with MP for rather long distance; with three simple branches proximad fusion. Cu, A1 incompletely preserved, simple. Two gradate series of crossveins: inner series arranged in strongly broken line, with seven crossveins distad MA; outer series arranged in smooth line with seven crossveins distad RP1.

Remarks. The species was described from two specimens, both labelled “type” in the collections of MCZ. We designate MCZ 241 as the lectotype as its wings are better preserved. The paralectotype differs from the lectotype by its narrower forewing, the clearly distally dilated intramedian cell, and the presence of an additional crossvein between the gradate series in the forewing (see Fig. 28 ). It’s possible that these differences are specific.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Wing venation drawings of Archaeochrysa paranervis Adams, 1967, holotype UCM 4419. A, forewing; B, hind wing (fused veins in red). Scale bar = 3 mm (both to scale).

FIGURE 6. Wing venation drawings of Archaeochrysa sp., specimen NHM.I.26921. A, right forewing; B, right hind wing; C, left forewing. Veins that cannot be assigned to the right fore- or hind wings are shown by dotted lines. Scale bars = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 7. Dyspetochrysa vetuscula (Scudder, 1890), holotype MCZ 245. A, photograph; B, drawing of left forewing; C. right forewing. MCZ 245 image courtesy of the MCZ, Harvard University, © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Scale bars = 3 mm (B, C to scale).

FIGURE 10. Cimbrochrysa major sp. nov., holotype FLFO 9819 (female) as preserved. A, part (photograph taken with a polarized filter); B, counterpart; C, anterior part of body (ventral view); D, distal part of abdomen (ventral view). e, eye; gx9, gonocoxites 9; S7, seventh sternite; sc, scapus; sp, spermatheca; spd, spermathecal duct. Scale bars = 3 mm (A–C), 2 mm (D).

FIGURE 11. Wing venation drawings of Cimbrochrysa major sp. nov., holotype FLFO 9819 (female). A, left forewing; B, right forewing; C, right hind wings; D, left hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 24. Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890, lectotype MCZ 241. Scale bar = 3 mm.

FIGURE 25. Wing venation drawings of Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890, lectotype MCZ 242. A, right forewing; B, right hind wings; C, left hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 26. Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890, paralectotype MCZ 4127, specimen in vental aspect. S8, S9, eigth, ninth sternites. Scale bar = 3 mm.

FIGURE 27. Wing venation drawings of Palaeochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890, paralectotype MCZ 4127. A, left forewing; B, right forewing; C, left hind wings; D, right hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 28. Tribochrysa firmata Scudder, 1890. Wing venation of the paralectotype MCZ 4127; fore- and hind wing drawings combined from left and right wings (dotted lines show poorly or reconstructed vein fragments; fused veins in red).A, forewing; B, hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (both to scale).