New species and new synonym of the family Pseudironidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

2025-11-13T05:01:32+13:00

The family Pseudironidae, formerly regarded as a subfamily of Heptageniidae, is today represented by the single Nearctic genus Pseudiron McDunnough, 1931. Fossil representatives of this lineage are exceedingly rare. In this study, a new fossil species, Burmella jiangchaoi sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. Detailed morphological examination of the new material and previously described taxa supports the synonymy Burmella Godunko, Martynov & Staniczek, 2021 = Longiheptagenia Yang, Zhao & Ren, 2023 syn. nov.. The genus Burmella was previously placed in Vietnamellidae, but re-evaluation indicates that its rounded hind wings result from secondary reduction, whereas the combination of its tarsal configuration and fore wing venation correspond to the diagnostic features of Pseudironidae. Consequently, Burmella is here transferred to Pseudironidae. The discovery of Burmella jiangchaoi sp. nov. provides the first fossil record of Pseudironidae from the Cretaceous, extending the known temporal and geographical range of the family from the modern Nearctic region to mid-Cretaceous Southeast Asia.

**A new species and new records of Ectinogonia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from the Atacama Desert: Pushing the boundaries towards hyperaridity!**

2025-07-26T22:21:49+12:00

The genus Ectinogonia Spinola is a diverse group of jewel beetles of the western slope of Andes Cordillera. Recent expeditions to Atacama Desert find a new taxon of Ectinogonia in hyperarid environments, which is morphologically different from all previously described species, and new populations of Ectinogonia fastidiosa (Fairmaire & Germain) and Ectinogonia pruinosa Pineda & Mondaca bringing their range of distribution closer to the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. The aim of this work is to describe this new taxon of Ectinogonia using integrative taxonomy, combining external and genital morphology with molecular evidence. To establish differences between species, we compared the specimens from new localities with those morphologically and geographically closer taxa and analyzed genetic divergence with the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase I. We also compared the genetic distance of the new populations with their conspecifics. The new species exhibit unique combinations of traits in their cuticle coloration, pronotal sculpture, pilosity and genital structures, as well as clear genetic distance (over 2.6%) from their closest relatives. Other species in the study area were E. pruinosa and E. fastidiosa, last one showing a very high morphological variability. These new explorations extend the known distribution of Ectinogonia closer to the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert (22°S–24°S), a region previously considered a gap in their distributional range.

Journal of Insect Biodiversity

New species and new synonym of the family Pseudironidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

A new species and new records of Ectinogonia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from the Atacama Desert: Pushing the boundaries towards hyperaridity!

**A new species and new records of Ectinogonia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from the Atacama Desert: Pushing the boundaries towards hyperaridity!**