Eospilopsyllus kobberti Beaucournu & Perrichot

Perrichot, Vincent, Beaucournu, Jean-Claude & Velten, Jürgen, 2012, First extinct genus of a flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic, Zootaxa 3438, pp. 54-61 : 57-59

Eospilopsyllus kobberti Beaucournu & Perrichot , n. sp.

( Figs 1–2 )

Holotype. Specimen SMNS Do-5724, a male in Early Miocene (16–20 Ma) amber from the Dominican Republic; housed in the amber collection of the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart, Germany.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Dr. Max Kobbert (Munster, Germany) who generously donated the specimen to the Museum of Stuttgart.

Diagnosis. As for the genus (see above).

Description. Male: body complete, excellently preserved, 2.00 mm long, about 1.00 mm high.

Anterior margin of head without frontal tubercle, evenly rounded from its dorsal base to the insertion of labial palpus. Interantennal suture (falx) present although inconspicuous. Clear demarcation in the sclerotization of the cephalic capsule between occipito-frontal and genal zones. Antennal fossa well developed, long, posteriorly narrowed ( Fig. 2 B); antennal club symmetrical, cone-shaped, with nine segments gradually decreasing in height; scape and pedicel not clearly visible; ventral margin of fossa nearly straight, with an eye present, small compared with that of other Spilopsyllini , circular, most probably functional, inserted medially between the frontal margin and the genal apex ( Figs 1 , 2 B). Genal apex with a process or tooth. Chaetotaxy: three occipital rows, anterior row with three setae, middle row with four setae, and posterior row with five setae, lower seta the longest; two genal rows, anterior row with two long stiff setae (ocular bristles) slightly anterior to a line between eye and ventral margin of gena, and posterior row with five long stiff setae disposed in arched line along ventral and posterior genal margins, anteriormost seta the longest. Maxillary palpus four-segmented; segments I–III roughly cylindrical, sub-equal in length, approximately five times longer than broad; terminal segment the longest, sub-lanceolate, broadest around one-third of length at level of a posterior expansion, then tapered to form an acute tip. Labial palpus and epipharynx mostly hidden by coxa I, apparently almost reaching the length of maxillary palpus.

Pronotum hardly separated from head capsule, similar to mesonotum in bearing a median row of 6 long stiff setae. A cervical link plate visible posteroventrally on pronotum ( Fig. 1 ). Metanotum dorsally longer than preceding segment, with similar chaetotaxy. Metepimeron with a distinct spiracle.

Pro-, meso-, and metathoracic femora and tibiae identical in almost all aspects except size and arrangement of femoro-tibial guard setae ( Figs. 1 , 2 C). Femoro-tibial joints each with one long and one short guard setae, the long seta external on profemur and internal on meso– and metafemur. Dorsal margin of tibia with six notches bearing paired stout setae except fourth and sixth (apical) notches bearing three setae; their length gradually increasing from proximal to distal; longest seta in apical notch as long as basitarsomere; ventral margin of tibia with an apical notch bearing three stout setae (only two visible on protibia) and a subapical notch bearing paired stout setae (not visible on protibia). All tarsi five-segmented. Fore-tarsomeres I–IV very short, nearly as wide as long. Midtarsomeres I–IV slender, elongate. Hind tarsomeres I–IV stouter, gradually decreasing in length, approximate relative lengths of segments from basitarsomere = 22: 17: 11: 5: 15 excluding the claw (27 with claw); dorsal and ventral margins of tarsomeres I and II with four and three notches, respectively, each notch bearing two stout setae, rarely three; longest apical seta of basitarsomere extending beyond apex of tarsomere II; longest apical seta of tarsomere II extending well beyond apex of tarsomere IV; tarsomere IV with two pairs of stout ventral setae and one pair of thin dorsal setae reaching apex of tarsomere V; all distitarsomeres with five pairs of lateral plantar setae, the first three pairs progressively increasing in size, the fourth pair much smaller than others, the apical pair as long as the first one and sometimes with one seta inconspicuous or apparently lost. Tarsal claw long, scythe-shaped, with minute serration on the basal half of its internal margin ( Fig. 2 D); basal lobe short, triangular, with inner margin serrated; space between claw and basal lobe reduced, ca. 6 µm.

Abdomen as high as long, tergites I–VI with a row of five or six setae on each side; tergite VII with an antesensilial bristle and three small lateral setae on each side. Sternite VII roughly triangular as visible, with posterodorsal margin sinuate. Sternite VIII much reduced, almost invisible ( Fig. 1 ). Sensilium distinct, with at least three sensilial pits, outlined by a sclerotized rim. Genitalia, or tergite IX, with only the apical part of processus basimeris visible ( Figs. 1 , 2 A), nearly rectangular, with numerous long fine setae.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eospilopsyllus kobberti n. gen. and n. sp., holotype specimen SMNS Do- 5724. Reconstruction of the general habitus, excluding tarsi, in lateral view (scale bar: 0.5 mm). E = eye; CP = cervical link plate; Sp = spiracle; Se = Sensilium; T- VIII = tergite VIII; S-II, S-VII, S-VIII = sternite II, VII, and VIII; IX = genitalia, or abdominal segment IX.

FIGURE 2. Eospilopsyllus kobberti n. gen. and n. sp., holotype male SMNS Do- 5724 in lateral view. (A) Habitus; (B) Head and thorax; (C) Legs; (D) Detail of the mesothoracic unguis (scale bars: A – C, 0.5 mm; D, 0.05 mm).