Palaeoentomology

**A new species and the first description of the female of Fiaponeura Lu et al. (Neuroptera: Psychopsoidea) from Cretaceous Kachin amber**

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Lacewings (Insecta: Neuroptera) are a remarkable group of insects displaying astonishing diversity during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Neuroptera is an order of holometabolous insects, which, together with Megaloptera and Raphidioptera, comprise the superorder Neuropterida (Engel et al., 2018). The morphologically diverse larvae of Neuroptera are known for their specialized sucking mouthparts for fluid feeding, as well as for their distinct life histories, such as trap builders (antlions), freshwater parasites (spongillaflies), and termite predators (beaded lacewings) (Oswald & Machado, 2018). The adults are usually predators, with some exceptions, and exhibit greatly reticulated wings, with variable sizes, shapes and coloration patterns. The order comprises ca. 6,000 extant species in 15 families, and the fossil record impressively adds 15 and 1,078 extinct families and species, respectively (Winterton et al., 2018; Oswald, 2024). During the past decades, extinct lacewings with long proboscides have been discovered in fossil records and placed in the superfamily Psychopsoidea. Investigating the role of these insects in pollination and examining the comparative morphological structure of mouthparts is paramount to our understanding of lacewing diversity, evolution, and function (Lu et al., 2016).

An ensign wasp in Late Eocene amber from Ukraine (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae)

MICHAEL S. ENGEL — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The ensign wasps, family Evaniidae, are an immediately distinctive family of parasitoid Hymenoptera, characterized by the reduced metasomal gaster attached high to the mesosoma via a short petiolate first metasomal segment. Species are, where known, parasitoids of roach oothecae. Among the approximately 20 extant genera, the genus Evaniella Bradley, 1905 is a relatively common and widespread group, found throughout the New World and with approximately 75 described extant species (Deans, 2005). In fact, Evaniella is the most widespread New World genus of ensign wasps. Given this, it is remarkable that species of Evaniella should be found in the Eocene of Europe (vide infra), demonstrating a once greater distribution relative to today. Naturally, however, this presumes that the fossil species belong to the crown group of the genus and that the lineage is monophyletic. Monophyly of Evaniella has been supported in recent phylogenetic estimates (e.g., Sharanowski et al., 2019) but fossil species have yet to be included in such analyses for the family.

A new Saxonagrionidae (Insecta: Odonatoptera) from Southern France Middle Permian confirms the attribution of the family to Panodonata

MATHIEU BODERAU, ROMAIN GARROUSTE, JEAN-PAUL KUNDURA, ANDRÉ NEL — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The superorder Odonatoptera Martynov, 1932 comprises a great number of clades (e.g., Meganisoptera, Protanisoptera, Triadophlebiomorpha, etc.) that could be considered as orders at the same rank of the extant Odonata (dragonflies, damsel-dragonflies and damselflies) (Nel & Piney, 2023). The Odonatoptera is very ancient, with representatives dating from the Serpukhovian (late Early Carboniferous) (Petrulevičius & Gutiérrez, 2016). But how old are the Panodonata Bechly, 1996, the clade containing the Odonatoptera with the synapomorphy ‘distal discoidal vein MAb (= distal side of discoidal cell) and subdiscoidal vein (origin of CuA on MP) aligned’ (Bechly, 2016)? Kohli et al. (2016) proposed the triassolestid Triassolestodes asiaticus (age ca. 237 Ma) as the oldest known representative of the crown Odonata because this family belongs to the Epiproctophora (the stem group of the extant Anisoptera). Kohli et al. (2021: fig. 4) dated the divergence between the Zygoptera and Epiproctophora as between 298 and 253 Ma, on the basis of the work of Kohli et al. (2016). Nel et al. (1999) and Prokop et al. (2015) described the two families assigned to Panodonata: Saxonagrionidae Nel, Gand, Fleck, Béthoux & Lapeyrie, 1999 and Huangiopteridae Prokop, Szwedo, Lapeyrie, Garrouste & Nel, 2015 on the basis of two wings from the Guadalupian of Lodève (Southern France).

Supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography, 2024

ANDREW J. ROSS — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

This is a supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography covering taxa described or recorded during 2024. Up to the end of 2024, 2,989 species have been recorded from Kachin amber (excluding trace fossils and marine encrusters), of which 226 were named in 2024. Additionally, 21 species have been recorded from older Hkamti amber (three named in 2024) and two species from younger Tilin amber (both named in 2024). Another three species were named in 2024, though it is uncertain whether they are in Kachin, Hkamti or Tilin amber. In total, 235 species (including one trace fossil) were named from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar during 2024.

A new genus of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), the first known hymenopteran in amber from Lower Lusatia (Germany)

SERGUEI A. SIMUTNIK, MADELINE V. PANKOWSKI, EVGENY E. PERKOVSKY — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Waninka haikowielandi Simutnik gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a female specimen from amber found in Lower Lusatia (Germany). This parasitic wasp is the first known record of a hymenopteran discovered in amber from Lower Lusatia and is believed to be from the late Eocene. The new genus is characterized by very long postmarginal and stigmal veins, the first funicular segment ring-like and conspicuously smaller than the second one, and the eye not reaching the occipital margin. The taxonomic position of the new genus is incertae sedis within the subfamily Encyrtinae. An updated key to the genera of late Eocene encyrtids of the subfamily Encyrtinae is provided. The “Baltic river” as the route of amber redeposition to Lower Lusatia is discussed.

A new moth lacewing genus (Insecta: Neuroptera: Ithonidae) with proliferated and specialized wing venation from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar

XING-YUE LIU, XIU-MEI LU, JING-LEI WANG, CHUN-PENG XU, DE ZHUO — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The neuropteran family Ithonidae is a relict group among extant lacewings, with less species diversity and disjunctive global distribution, but represented by a more diverse palaeofauna since the Late Triassic. However, most fossil ithonids are preserved in compression rocks, while those from amber inclusion are particularly rare. Here we report a new genus and species of Ithonidae, Phyllithone dongshengi gen. et sp. nov., from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar, representing the second ithonid genus and species from this deposit. The new genus can be assigned to the extinct Principiala genus-group by the specialized MP and CuA in both fore- and hind wings, which is shared by many groups of Myrmeleontoidea as a possibly convergently evolved trait. The new finding highlights the morphological diversity and evolution in early ithonids.

Old collections, new taxa: late Carboniferous (Moscovian) roachoids (stem group Dictyoptera) among plants with insect interactions from the Benxi Formation, China, stored in European museums

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) witnessed the intensification of climatic gradients with the onset of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age. During this time, high latitudes were characterized by the spread of ice sheets, whereas the palaeotropics hosted the emergence of vast, verdant, coal-forming, swamp forests. Not only were the planet’s landscapes transformed through proliferation and diversification of vascular plants, but the evolution of diverse insect groups, including ‘primitive’ roachoids, reconfigured the terrestrial fauna. Here, we re-examine and describe new roachoid taxa from Moscovian strata of the Benxi Formation. The studied insect material was sourced from early 20^th century collections held in the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and is co-preserved with a broad array of plant fossils—some with evidence of herbivory damage. Our findings introduce Tangshanblatta inexpectata gen. et sp. nov. (Phyloblattidae), Pseudaphtoromylacris paucinervis gen. et sp. nov. (in the family Pseudaphtoromylacridae, fam. nov.), Spilarchimylacris kaipingense sp. nov. (Archimylacridae), and Etomylacris straeleni sp. nov. and Sooblattella ater sp. nov. (both Mylacridae). We establish Pseudaphtoromylacridae on the basis of several new characters that clearly differentiate it from related families. Etomylacris is restored from synonymy with Mylacris. The co-preserved plant fossils reveal a rich palaeovegetation including pteridophytes, ‘pteridosperms’, sphenophytes, conifers, and arborescent lycophytes. The remains of these plants bear seven distinct damage types belonging to four functional feeding groups: hole feeding, margin feeding, piercing and sucking, and oviposition. This diversity of insects, plants, and herbivory strategies signifies a relatively complex food web in the Carboniferous tropical coal-forming forests of northeast China. This study also demonstrates the value of historical museum collections and the importance of inter-institutional collaboration for piecing together palaeobiodiversity and palaeoecological information from now inaccessible fossil sites.

A new buprestid beetle from Eocene Baltic amber (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Melanophilini)

TOM KWAST, VITALII ALEKSEEV — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Phaenops gutowskii sp. nov. is described, diagnosed, and illustrated based on a well-preserved specimen from Baltic amber. This new extinct jewel beetle is compared with the Phaenops aerea species group in the Palaearctic as well as closely related congeners in the Nearctic Realm. Trophic association of the new Eocene buprestid with pine trees and development of its larvae in phloem of Pinus sp. is supposed.

The first fossil insects from the marine Oligocene Menilite Formation in Poland (Odonata, Coleoptera)

ANDRÉ NEL, RAFAŁ BERNARD, ROBERT SZYBIAK, BOGUSŁAW DARAŻ — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Lestes polonicus sp. nov. and Calosoma winnicaensis sp. nov., respectively, the first Oligocene Lestidae and Carabidae from Poland, are described from the marine Menilite Formation. Lestes polonicus sp. nov. is the ninth species of the Eocene-Oligocene Lestes group with a longitudinal intercalary row of cells in the area between MP and CuA, confirming its abundance and diversity during this period, and extending its distribution to the easternmost part of Central Europe. This group has not been recorded later during the Miocene and Pliocene. With the described species, the genus Calosoma seems to have been as diverse during the Oligocene as it is today in Europe.

Discovery of a new anaxyelid wasp (Hymenoptera: Anaxyelidae) in mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber

NOZOMU OYAMA, CORENTIN JOUAULT, TOSHIHARU MITA — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The family Anaxyelidae, known primarily from the fossil record, consists of two subfamilies—Syntexinae, and Anaxyelinae—spanning from the Middle Jurassic to the present. Among the latter, Syntexinae are mostly represented by fossil taxa from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with Syntexis being the only extant genus, and no known Cenozoic occurrences. In this study, we describe a new genus and species of Syntexinae, Deresyntexis bethouxi gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Although this discovery does not resolve existing diversity gaps, the well-preserved specimen provides valuable insights into the evolutionary traits and adaptations of Syntexinae during the Cretaceous. The unique morphology of the specimen, distinct from previously described genera, contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history and morphological diversity of the family.

A new species of Paraberothinae (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, with discussion of family affinity of the subfamily

VLADIMIR N. MAKARKIN — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Stygioberotha groehni sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Berothidae: Paraberothinae) is described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Its foreleg setation is very similar to that of S. siculifera Nakamine et al., 2020, but it is easily distinguished from that species by the presence of five spines on the ventral edge of the protibia (four in S. siculifera), forewing maculation (absent in S. siculifera), and a much shorter scapus. Analysis of wing venation, scapus and prothoracic structure, and female genitalia support the Paraberothinae as being a subfamily of Berothidae rather than of Rhachiberothidae.

An erotine net-winged beetle from Cenomanian Burmese amber confirms the Mesozoic origins of subfamilies (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Lycidae: Erotinae)

MICHAL MOTYKA, DOMINIK KUSY, LADISLAV BOCAK — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +1300

A new net-winged beetle, Dostaliella filiformis gen. et sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Due to distinct morphology, the new tribe Dostaliellini trib. nov. is erected for this species in the subfamily Erotinae (Coleoptera, Elateroidea, Lycidae). Unlike previously described Cretaceous lycids, Dostaliella filiformis gen. et sp. nov. features a median pronotal areola. The presence of Erotinae in Cenomanian fauna is consistent with age estimates for Erotinae based on molecular phylogenies not calibrated with lycid data. The finding represents physical evidence for the timing of the radiation of the Erotinae and their low morphological disparity since the early phase of their evolution. Notably, all known lycid specimens preserved in Burmese amber are females with fully developed elytra, wings, and other appendages. Therefore, we still do not have any direct fossil evidence of neoteny in net-winged beetles and must reject the recent claim that the females of Cenomanian Lycidae, i.e., Burmolycini, were neotenic. None of the known Cretaceous lycid females resemble the fully larviform females seen in some modern groups of net-winged beetles.