Nymphites priscus (Weyenbergh, 1869)

Shi, Chaofan, Makarkin, Vladimir N., Yang, Qiang, Archibald, S. Bruce & Ren, Dong, 2013, New species of Nymphites Haase (Neuroptera: Nymphidae) from the Middle Jurassic of China, with a redescription of the type species of the genus, Zootaxa 3700 (3), pp. 393-410 : 395-397

Nymphites priscus (Weyenbergh, 1869)

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Insecte: Winkler 1865: 429 (listed); Winkler 1896: 314 (listed).

Hemerobius priscus Weyenbergh 1869a: 264 ; Pl. 34, Figs 13, 14 (original description); Weyenbergh 1869b: 236 (listed); Weyenbergh 1874: 97 (listed); Oppenheim 1888: 226, 227 (as a synonym of Chrysopa excelsa Hagen, 1862 [= Osmylites excelsa Oppenheim, 1888 ]); Scudder 1891: 148 (listed); Martins-Neto & Vulcano 1989: 369, 370 (as a synonym of Nymphites braueri Haase, 1890 ).

Névroptère: Meunier 1897: 238 (notes).

Nymphites priscus: Haase 1890: 23 (taxonomic notes); Handlirsch 1906–1908 [1906]: 609 (taxonomic notes); Martynova 1949: 167 (listed); Lambkin 1988: 450, 453 (mentioned); Martins-Neto 1992: 120 (mentioned); Makarkin & Archibald 2003: 175 (taxonomic notes); Ponomarenko 2003: 90 (mentioned); Makarkin & Menon 2005: 810 (taxonomic notes).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from Nymphites bimaculatus sp. nov. and from Nymphites sp. A by the absence of crossveins between distal branches of CuA and branches of MP.

Description. Thorax fragmentarily preserved; details not discernible.

Hind wing approximately 29 mm long as preserved (estimated complete length 31 mm); 8.0 mm wide as preserved (estimated complete width 8.5 mm). Margins poorly-preserved; trichosors not visible. Costal space narrow. Subcostal veinlets simple in proximal 2/3, some distal veinlets apparently shallowly forked. ScP, RA preserved as very closely approaching veins; subcostal space not visible. Preserved veinlets of ScP + RA dichotomously branched. RP smooth, only slightly zigzagged; originating near wing base. Preserved crossveins between RA, RP before fusion of ScP + RA widely spaced, rather regularly arranged. RP with 11 or 12 branches (poorly preserved); at least RP 1, RP 2 deeply forked. Crossveins in radial space relatively scarce, irregularly spaced proximally; rare or absent distally. Origin of M not preserved. MA dichotomously branched relatively close to wing margin. MP pectinately branched, with four branches, two deeply forked; one preserved crossvein evident between them. CuA long, pectinately branched with 11 long branches, at least one deeply forked; four-six crossveins between proximal branches forming gradate series. CuP incompletely preserved, short, apparently deeply forked. Anal veins not preserved. Crossveins between RP 1 and MA, MA and MP, MP and CuA rather scarce, irregularly spaced.

Type material. Holotype No. 15453 (part; formerly No. 10336), No. 15454 (counterpart), deposited in TM. A poorly-preserved specimen with two incomplete hind wings.

Type locality and horizon. Solnhofen, Germany; Late Jurassic, early Tithonian (Solnhofen Formation).

Discussion. Handlirsch (1906–1908) thought that these are forewings, apparently following Weyenbergh (1869a) and Haase (1890).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nymphites priscus (Weyenbergh, 1869), holotype. A, part. B, counterpart. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Nymphites priscus (Weyenbergh, 1869), holotype. A, right hind wing photograph. B, drawing of hind wing venation. Dotted line indicates both ScP and RA, which are not distinctly separate here by blurred preservation. Scale bar = 5 mm.