Lithochrysa wickhami ( Cockerell, 1914 )

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 : 320-322

Lithochrysa wickhami ( Cockerell, 1914)

Fig. 14

Palaeochrysa wickhami Cockerell, 1914: 717 , Fig. 3 ; Schlüter 1984: 4; Martins-Neto & Vulcano 1989: 189, 190; Séméria & Nel 1990: 30; Meyer 2003: 208; Nel et al. 2005: 67; Makarkin & Archibald 2013: 143; Archibald & Makarkin 2015: 361.

Lithochrysa wickhami: Carpenter 1935: 265 , Figs 4 , 9B ; Martins-Neto & Vulcano 1989: 190; Archibald & Makarkin 2017: 399, 400, Fig. 1C .

Paleochrysa [sic] wickhami: Adams 1967: 230 , 231; Schlüter 1982: 261.

Type material. Holotype MCZ 4499 (Scudder’s no. 3350), collected by Henry Wickham. A nearly compete specimen in dorsal aspect, with distal portions of wings not preserved. Verbatim label data [typed and handwritten]: “(1) “Mus. Comp. Zoöl. Cambridge, Mass. / No. 4499 / Paleochrysa [sic] wickhami Cock. / Holotype / H.F. Wickham coll. Florissant”; (2) [handwritten]: “4499 type Paleochrysa [sic] wickhami Cock. / Florissant / Neuroptera ”. The specimen has black ink writing on the rock that says “4499”, and a red paper label glued to the rock that says “ Holotype ”. A paper label glued to the reverse of the rock says: “ Palaeochrysa / wickhami / Ckll. / TYPE.”

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

Diagnosis. May be distinguished from other species of the genus by simple MA, MP [other genera: forked]; more proximal location of 1r-m (ca. at level of 2m-cu) [ L. borealis , L. ferruginea : clearly distad 2m-cu]; very short branches of CuA (cells between these only slightly longer than wide) [other species: cells between these distinctly longer than wide)].

Redescription. Male (?). Body ca. 7.8 mm long. Head transverse in dorsal view; eyes 0.4 mm in diameter; right antenna fragmentary preserved. Pronotum, mesonotum probably dark brown laterally. Abdomen completely, but poorly preserved; morphology of apical segments unclear; unknown curved chitinized structure protruding at end of abdomen might be arcessus (=fused gonostyli) or entoprocessus (=gonapophyses 9) ( Fig. 14F, s ).

Forewing 8.7 mm long (as preserved; estimated complete length ca. 9.5 mm), 3.4 mm wide (length to width ratio ca. 2.80). Costal space relative broad in proximal half, strongly narrowed towards pterostigmal region.All preserved subcostal veinlets simple, relatively widely spaced in proximal part. Pterostigma distinct, light as preserved. Distal part of Sc not discernible. Subcostal space moderately narrow; subcostal crossveins not detected. Distal part of RA not preserved. RA space broad, with nine preserved crossveins (apparently 10–11 total). RP originating at obtuse angle, relatively far from wing base (ca. 0.21 estimated complete wing length). Anterior trace of RP slightly zigzagged; with seven preserved branches (apparently eight or nine total). Basal crossvein between RP, M (1r-m) relatively short, connecting anterior trace of RP, MA within im at proximal one-fifth length. M dividing to MA, MP slightly distad origin of RP. MA, MP zigzagged, apparently each simple. Im elongate (length/width ratio 3.07 in right wing, 3.33 in left wing). Psm poorly developed, strongly zigzagged. Crossvein 2m-cu very long, connecting im, CuA at nearly proximal one-thirds of im. CuA probably with two simple, relatively short branches. Psm rather well developed, slightly zigzagged, continuing to outer gradate series of crossveins. CuP deeply forked, branches widely spaced; intracubital crossveins not detected. A1, A2 arched, simple. Two gradate series of crossveins nearly parallel, evenly curved; inner series with eight crossveins distad MA; outer series incomplete, with four preserved crossveins distad RP2.

Hind wing ca. 8.2 mm long, 2.8 mm wide. Costal space very narrow, especially distally; subcostal veinlets poorly preserved. Pterostigma indistinct. Sc incompletely preserved. Subcostal space very narrow; subcostal crossveins not detected. RA entering margin at wing apex; its distal veinlets densely spaced. RA space broad, with 11 preserved crossveins (right wing). Anterior trace of RP slightly zigzagged, with seven branches (their distal portions mostly not preserved). Psm rather well developed, weakly zigzagged. M dividing to MA, MP at level of origin of RP. MA strongly zigzagged; basally crossvein-like then fused with RP for rather long distance, forked distally distad Psc. MP nearly straight before fork; deeply forked distally at Psc. Proximal crossvein between MA, MP (1im) long. CuA, CuP, anal veins not preserved. Psc very poorly developed. Probably two gradate series of crossveins, but their crossveins only fragmentarily preserved.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Archaeochrysa paranervis Adams, 1967, holotype UCM 4419. Scale bar = 3 mm.

FIGURE 3. Archaeochrysa fracta (Cockerell, 1914), holotype MCZ 4501. A, photograph; B, drawing of forewing venation. Scale bar = 3 mm (both to scale).

FIGURE 4. Archaeochrysa cockerelli sp. nov., holotype NHM I.8417. A, photograph; B, drawing of forewing venation. NH- MUK PI I.8417 image © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum. Scale bar = 3 mm (both to scale).

FIGURE 9. Wing venation drawings of Cimbrochrysa americana sp. nov., holotype UCM 33497. A, right forewing; B, left forewing; C, right hind wing; left hind wing. Scale bar = 3 mm (all to scale).

FIGURE 14. Lithochrysa wickhami (Cockerell, 1914), holotype MCZ 4499 (male?). A, specimen; B, right forewing; C, left forewing; D, right hind wing; E, left hind wing; F, end of abdomen. All converted to standard view, with apex to the right. s, unknown structure, Scale bars = 3 mm (A; B–E to scales), 1 mm (F).