Corethrella andersoni (Diptera: Corethrellidae), a new species from lower cretaceous burmese amber

2007·2 MB·

by  George O Poinar

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
109(1), 2007, pp. 155-159
CORETHRELLA ANDERSONl (DIPTERA: CORETHRELLIDAE), A NEW
SPECIES FROM LOWER CRETACEOUS BURMESE AMBER
George O. Poinar and Ryszard Szadziewski
(GP) Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331,
U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]); (RS) Department ofInvertebrate
Zoology, University of Gdansk, Pilsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland (e-mail:
[email protected])
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Abstract. Corethrellaandersoni, n. sp. (Diptera: Corethrellidae), is described from
Lower Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new species can be distinguished from all
previously described extinct and extant Corethrella Coquillett by the very short wing
veins R2 and R3.
Key Words: Corethrella andersoni, Corethrellidae, Burmese amber
The dipterous family Corethrellidae ed have been assigned to the Upper
includes the single genus Corethrella Albian (~ 100-110 mya) of the Lower
Coquillett with over 60 extant species, Cretaceous (Cruickshank and Ko 2002).
all which occur in warm climates (sub- Observations and photographs were
tropics and tropics) (Borkent 1993). made with a Nikon SMZ-10 stereoscopic
Females have biting mouthparts (with microscope and Nikon Optiphot optical
one exception) and are reported to feed microscope (with magnifications up to
on frogs, mammals and birds (Williams 650X). Drawings were made with a cam-
and Edman 1968). era lucida.
All previously described fossil corethrel- Whereas the majority of the fossil
lids are males in Miocene-Oligocene Do- corethrellid is intact (Fig. 1), the terminal
minicanamber{CorethrellanudistylaBork- abdominal segments separated and are
ent and Szadziewski 1992), Eocene Baltic now adjacent to the wing apex, the left
amber (C. prisca Borkent and Szadziewski wing is incomplete with only the base
1992, C miocaenica Szadziewski et al. preserved, themid legs havetarsomeres 2-
1994) and Lower Cretaceous Lebanese 4 separated, tarsomeres 3-5 of both hind
amber (C cretacea Szadziewski 1995). legs are missing, and the left palpus, while
The present study describes the first complete, is separated from the proboscis.
female fossil corethrellid from Burmese
amber. Family Corethrellidae Edwards, 1932
Genus Corethrella Coquillett, 1902
Materials and Methods
Corethrella andersoni Poinar and
Amber from Myanmar (Burma) oc- Szadziewski, new species
curs in lignitic seams in sandstone-
limestone deposits in the Hukawng (Figs. 18)
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Valley. Palynomorphs obtained from Description. Female (Fig. 1): Body
the amber beds where the fossil originat- length about 2.5 mm. Proboscis slightly
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
156
Fig. I. Holotype female of Corethrella andersoni, lateral view. Bar = 0.83 mm.
elongate, as long as height of head or less distinct whorls of longer setae
(Fig. 8); eyes above antennae narrowly (Figs. 2, 6); flagellomeres 3-13 subequal,
separated; pedicel slightly enlarged; fla- between 164 |Lim and 180 \xm. in length.
gellum very long, 2.20 mm, with 13 Clypeus and probosciswith simple setae;
slender flagellomeres; first flagellomere palpus 5-segmented (Fig. 3), 370 \xxn long,
385 )j.m long, almost 2.3 times longer longer than proboscis. Third palpal seg-
than flagellomere 2 (170 |J-m); all flagel- ment 268 )am long; fourth 133 |a,m; fifth
lomeres with distinct basal whorl oflong 185 \\.m-, labrum distinct, long, slender;
setae; flagellomeres 2-12 with 2-3 more mandibles and laciniae not visible.
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Figs. 2-8. Corethrella andersoni in Burmese amber. 2, Flagellomeres 1 and 2. 3, Palpus. 4, Wing. 5,
Striated scales from femur. 6, Flagellomere 5. 7, Fifth tarsomere ofmid leg. 8, Head, lateral view.
158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Table 1. Lengths ofleg segments and tarsomeres of Corethrella andersoni (in mm).
Tarsomere 1 Tarsomere2 Tarsomere 3
Foreleg 0.95
Midleg
Hind leg
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109, 1 159
Acknowledgment Cruickshank, R. D. and K. Ko, K. 2002. Geology
of an amber locality in the Hukawng Valley,
Thanks are extended to Roberta Poi- northern Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth
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midges from Upper Mesozoic of East Trans-
baikalia. Mesozoic insects and ostracods from
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