Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 8 No. 2: April 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-04-29
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.2.6
Page range: 157-165
Abstract views: 8
PDF downloaded: 0

New damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera: Burmacoenagrionidae) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China; School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Fujimei Trading (Beijing) Co., Ltd, IFC Building A, No.8 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Beijing 100020, China
Fujimei Trading (Beijing) Co., Ltd, IFC Building A, No.8 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Beijing 100020, China
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Odonata Zygoptera Burmacoenagrionidae Coenagrionoidea Burmese amber mid-Cretaceous

Abstract

A new species Electrocoenagrion rarissimum sp. nov. of Burmacoenagrionidae is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. It is assigned to this family by having its typical characteristics: 12–19 postnodal crossveins present; Pt 3–5 short cells long; pterostigmal part of RA and stigmal crossveins thickened to form U-shaped structure; RP1 with weak angle below Pt-brace. Electrocoenagrion rarissimum sp. nov. differs from the other two species of this genus by RP2 originating seven cells distad of Sn, 19–20 postnodal crossveins present basad of Pt in forewing, midfork distinctly distad of N and Arc distad of Ax2. A revised diagnosis of Electrocoenagrion is provided, with a detail description of head and wing base structure.

References

  1. Asahina, S. (1954) A morphological study of a relic dragonfly Epiophlebia superstes Selys (Odonata, Anisozygoptera). Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, 153 pp.
  2. Bechly, G. (1996) Morphologische Untersuchungen am Flügelgeäder der rezenten Libellen und deren Stammgruppenvertreter (Insecta; Pterygota; Odonata), unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Phylogenetischen Systematik und des Grundplanes der Odonata. Petalura, 2, 1–402.
  3. Bybee, S.M., Ogden, T.H., Branham, M.A. & Whiting, M.F. (2008) Molecules, morphology and fossils: a comprehensive approach to odonate phylogeny and the evolution of the odonate wing. Cladistics, 24, 477–514. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2007.00191.x
  4. Carle, F.L., Kjer, K.M. & May, M.L. (2008) Evolution of Odonata, with special reference to Coenagrionoidea (Zygoptera). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny, 66, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.66.e31679
  5. Cui, Y.Y., Bardin, J., Wipfler, B., Demers-Potvin, A., Bai, M., Tong, Y.J., Chen, G.N., Chen, H., Zhao, Z.Y., Ren, D. & Béthoux, O. (2024) A winged relative of ice-crawlers in amber bridges the cryptic extant Xenonomia and a rich fossil record. Insect Science, 31 (5), 1645–1656. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.13338
  6. Dijkstra, K.B., Kalkman, V.J., Dow, R.A., Stokvis, F.R. & Tol, J.V. (2014) Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata). Systematic Entomology, 39, 68–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12035
  7. Huang, D.Y., Nel, A. & Muller, V.N. (2020) The sixth species of the damselfly family Burmacoenagrionidae (Odonata) endemic to the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Palaeoentomology, 3 (6), 564–568. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.3.6.6
  8. Kukalová-Peck, J. (1983) Origin of the insect wing and wing articulation from the arthropodan leg. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 61 (7), 1618–1669. https://doi.org/10.1139/z83-217
  9. Mӧstel, C., Schorr, M. & Bechly, G. (2017) A new stem-coenagrionoid genus of damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Zootaxa, 4243 (1), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4243.1.9
  10. Nel, A., Martínez-Delclὸs, X., Paicheler, J.C. & Henrotay, M. (1993) Les ‘Anisozygoptera’ fossiles. Phylogénie et classification (Odonata). Martinia Hors Série, 3, 1–311.
  11. Ninomiya, T. & Yoshizawa, K. (2009) A revised interpretation of the wing base structure in Odonata. Systematic Entomology, 34 (2), 334–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2008.00455.x
  12. Riek, E.F. (1976) A new collection of insects from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Annals of the Natal Museum, 22 (3), 791–820.
  13. Riek, E.F. & Kukalová-Peck, J. (1984) A new interpretation of dragonfly wing venation based upon Early Carboniferous fossils from Argentina (Insecta: Odonatoidea) and basic character states in pterygote wings. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 62, 1150–1166. https://doi.org/10.1139/z84-166
  14. Selden, P.A. & Ren, D. (2017) A review of Burmese amber arachnids. The Journal of Arachnology, 45 (3), 324–343. https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-17-029
  15. Shi, G.H., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M.C., Lei, W.Y., Li, Q.L. & Li, X.H. (2012) Age constraint on Burmese amber based on U-Pb dating of zircons. Cretaceous Research, 37, 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.014
  16. Silsby, J. (2001) Dragonflies of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, 224 pp. https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643100879
  17. Wang, J.J., Engel, M.S., Zhang, W.T., Shih, C.K., Qiu, R. & Ren, D. (2024) Swarming caddisflies in the mid‐Cretaceous. National Science Review, 11, nwae227. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae227
  18. Wang, X.Y., Yu, K., Selden, P.A., Ren, D. & Guo, X.B. (2024) New mid‐Cretaceous macrothelids showing a similar living mode to extant Macrothelidae (Araneae: Mygalomorphae). Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 2024, 13139. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13139
  19. Zhang, W.T., Li, H., Shih, C.K., Zhang, A.B. & Ren, D. (2018) Phylogenetic analyses with four new Cretaceous bristletails reveal interrelationships of Archaeognatha and Gondwana origin of Meinertellidae. Cladistics, 34 (4), 384–406. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12212
  20. Zhang, Y.J., Labandeira, C.C., Yu, J.M., Shih, C.K., Ren, D. & Gao, T.P. (2024) Evolution and mandibular sexual dimorphism in mid‐Cretaceous scorpionflies (Insecta: Mecoptera: Meropeidae). Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 63 (2), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13121
  21. Zhao X.F. (1990) The gomphid dragonflies of China (Odonata: Gomphidae). Fujian Science and Technology Publishing House, Fuzhou, 486 pp.
  22. Zheng, D.R., Nel, A., Zhang, H.C., Chang, S.C., Jarzembowski, E.A., Zhuo, D. & Wang, B. (2019) A highly diverse coenagrionoid damselfly group (Odonata: Zygoptera: Burmacoenagrionidae fam. nov.) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 17 (3), 239–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2017.1406010