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Issue: Vol. 6 No. 1: February 2023
Type: Short Communication
Published: 2023-02-28
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.1.3
Page range: 008–012
Abstract views: 207
PDF downloaded: 12

New material of Paleopsychoda jarzembowskii Azar & Maksoud, 2022 from Bqaatouta amber outcrop, showing the importance of insect fossils in biostratigraphy

Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Museum of Natural History, CP 6434, 1211 Geneva 6, Switzerland; University of Geneva, Department of Earth Sciences, Rue des Maraîchers 13, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Mazraat Yachouh, El-Maten, Lebanon
Conde de Torrecedeira 36, 5C Vigo, Pontevedra 36202, Spain
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; Lebanese University, Faculty of Science II, Natural Sciences Department, Fanar - El-Matn, PO Box 26110217, Lebanon
General

Abstract

The family Psychodidae Newman, 1834 comprises about 3,000 living species of small hairy nematoceran flies (Azar & Maksoud, 2022). To date, seven psychodid subfamilies are recognized within this family, namely Bruchomyiinae Alexander, 1921; extinct Datziinae Stebner, Solórzano Kraemer, Ibáñez-Bernal & Wagner, 2015; Horaiellinae Enderlein, 1937; Phlebotominae Rondani, 1840; Psychodinae Newman, 1834; Sycoracinae Rondani, 1856; and Trichomyiinae Tonnoir, 1922 (Azar & Maksoud, 2022). Some authors consider the psychodid group to consist of two families, i.e., Psychodidae and Phlebotomidae (Williams, 1993; Azar et al., 1999). This taxonomic treatment is based only on the hematophagous and medically important aspects of the phlebotomines. Nevertheless it is unfounded, because the phylogenetic relationships between the psychodid subfamilies remain unresolved, even if there is a possible sister-group relationship between the Phlebotominae and Psychodinae (Curler & Moulton, 2012). We consider that recognising phlebotomines as a separate family would necessitate also giving separate familial rank to all the currently recognised subfamilies, which is not adopted here.

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