Eocompsoctena macroptera, Ngô-Muller & Engel & Nel & Nel, 2020

Ngô-Muller, Valerie, Engel, Michael S., Nel, Andre & Nel, Jacques, 2020, First fossil Eriocottidae discovered in Eocene Baltic amber (Insecta: Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 4834 (2), pp. 273-282 : 274-278

Eocompsoctena macroptera sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the macropterous condition of the holotype’s wings.

Material. Holotype MNHN.F. A71340 (a complete female), conserved in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.

Age and outcrop. Eocene Baltic amber, exact country of origin unknown (historical collection at the MNHN).

Diagnosis. As for the genus (vide supra), with the following addition: i) macropterous female; ii) forewing apparently with a darker zone along anterior margin and iii) a light brown zone along vein CuP.

Description. Female. Head (figs 1A, 1B): frons bulged with erect scales; ocelli absent; antenna filiform, extending to a point slightly distal to half of forewing costa, with tufts of long thin setae on each flagellomere, a pecten present on scape with six long setae; proboscis as long as maxillary palpus but distinct, uncoiled and serrate; maxillary palpus with probably three (?) palpomeres, as long as proboscis and first labial palpomere; labial palpus with three palpomeres, first and second palpomeres with a ventral scale brush, third palpomere as long as second palpomere, longer than first palpomere.

Forewing (figs 2A, 2B) 7.6 mm long, 2.7 mm wide. Apparently dark blackish brown, possibly with microtrichia, ten veins arising from discal cell, all simple, with only R4 and R5 with common point of origin but lacking a combined stem, and all other veins well separated basally; R5 terminating on termen; ac and ic present, ic longer than ac; CuP distally effaced, not reaching posterior wing margin, but quite elongate, surpassing level of discal cell apex; anal veins beyond anal loop fused into A1+2; fringe not preserved.

Hind wing ca. 6.1 mm long, 2.8 mm wide, with six veins originating from discal cell, all simple and well separated basally; ic present; fringe not preserved; frenulum not visible.

Epiphysis quite slender, arising from proximal half of tibia and extending beyond distal end of tibia (figs 3A, 3B); meso- and metatibiae with one and two pairs of spurs, respectively; tarsomeres spinose.

Abdomen with possibly telescopic ovipositor, with anal tuft made up of long piliform scales (probably used to emit pheromones to attract males).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eocompsoctena macroptera gen. et sp. nov., holotype female (MNHN.F.A71340). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Detail of head in oblique lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Eocompsoctena macroptera gen. et sp. nov., holotype female (MNHN.F.A71340). A. Left wings extended from body, as preserved, with small arrows indicating putative insertions of microtrichia (boxed inset: an expanded view of the leftmost labeled microtrichium, marked by arrow, from the larger image). B. Line drawing of fore- and hind wing venation. Abbreviations: ac = accessory cell; ic = intercalary cell. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Eocompsoctena macroptera gen. et sp. nov., holotype female (MNHN.F.A71340), view of forelegs from below. A. Right foreleg. B. Left foreleg. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.