Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5424 No. 4: 15 Mar. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-03-15
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5424.4.6
Page range: 476-482
Abstract views: 13
PDF downloaded: 1

Nigropterix cummingi sp. n., an umenocoleid (Insecta: Dictyoptera) from mid-Cretaceous northern Myanmar amber

Institute of Zoology; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Dúbravská cesta 9; 845 06 Bratislava; Slovakia
Blattodea Fossil insect Burmite Mesozoic amber new species

Abstract

A new fossil umenocoleid from Burmese amber is described as Nigropterix cummingi sp. n. on the basis of a completely preserved adult female. The genus Nigropterix Sendi in Sendi et al. (2023) was previously only reported in Turonian sediments from Kzyl-Zhar in Kazakhstan. The herein described species differs from the latter in having parallel M, and R area with numerous cross-veins. Furthermore, the triangular shaped pronotum with unreduced paranotalia, and possibly the shortened ovipositor with punctures and minute setae are autapomorphic. The leathery texture consisting of irregular rows of bulges with small pits including setae on the forewings is very similar to Alienopterix Mlynský in Vršanský et al. (2018), Archaeospinapteryx Sendi et Cumming and Poikiloprosopon Sendi et Cumming both in Sendi et al. (2023). The fossil insect expands the temporal and geographic range of its genus and further exemplifies taxonomic and ecological dominance of Umenocoleidae in Burmese amber. The unique wide pronotum without reduced paranotalia (a strong plesiomorphy) also exemplifies disparity of forms among Umenocoleidea.

 

References

  1. Comstock, J.H. & Needham, J. (1899) The wings of insects. The American Naturalist, 33, 845–860. https://doi.org/10.1086/276780
  2. Delclòs, X., Peñalver, E., Barrón, E., Peris, D., Grimaldi, D.A., Holz, M., Labandeira, C.C., Saupe, E.E., Scotese, C.R. & Solórzano-Kraemer, M.M. (2023) Amber and the Cretaceous Resinous Interval. Earth-Science Reviews, 104486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104486
  3. Grimaldi, D.A. & Ross, A.J. (2004) Raphidiomimula, an enigmatic new cockroach in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burma)(Insecta: Blattodea: Raphidiomimidae). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2, 101–104. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1477201904001142
  4. Hinkelman, J. (2020) Earliest behavioral mimicry and possible food begging in a Mesozoic alienopterid pollinator. Biologia, 75, 83–92. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00278-z
  5. Hinkelman, J. (2022a) Cuniculoblatta brevialata gen. et sp. n., the second case of brachyptery from Cretaceous North Myanmar amber. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0104
  6. Hinkelman, J. (2022b) Mongolblatta sendii sp. n.(Mesoblattinidae) from North Myanmar amber links record to Laurasian sediments. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 81–96. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0105
  7. Hinkelman, J. (2023) Origins and diversity of spot-like aposematic and disruptive colorations among cockroaches. Biologia, 78, 1659–1677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01163-y
  8. Hinkelman, J. & Vršanská, L. (2020) A Myanmar amber cockroach with protruding feces contains pollen and a rich microcenosis. The Science of Nature, 107, 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-020-1669-y
  9. Hornig, M.K., Haug, C., Schneider, J.W. & Haug, J.T. (2018) Evolution of reproductive strategies in dictyopteran insects-clues from ovipositor morphology of extinct roachoids. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 63 (1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00324.2016
  10. Kováčová, Z. (2023) New cockroach (Insecta: Blattaria) from North Myanmar amber. Biologia, 78, 1679–1693. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01295-1
  11. Lee, S.-W. (2016) Taxonomic diversity of cockroach assemblages (Blattaria, Insecta) of the Aptian Crato Formation (Cretaceous, NE Brazil). Geologica Carpathica, 67 (5), 433–450. https://doi.org/10.1515/geoca-2016-0027
  12. Li, X.-R., Zheng, Y.-H., Wang, C.-C. & Wang, Z.-Q. (2018) Old method not old-fashioned: parallelism between wing venation and wing-pad tracheation of cockroaches and a revision of terminology. Zoomorphology, 137, 519–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-018-0419-6
  13. Li, X.-R. & Huang, D.-Y. (2023) Atypical ‘long-tailed’cockroaches arose during Cretaceous in response to angiosperm terrestrial revolution. PeerJ, 11, e15067. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15067
  14. Luo, C., Beutel, R.G., Engel, M.S., Liang, K., Li, L., Li, J., Xu, C., Vršanský, P., Jarzembowski, E.A. & Wang, B. (2022) Life history and evolution of the enigmatic Cretaceous–Eocene Alienopteridae: A critical review. Earth-Science Reviews, 225, 103914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103914
  15. Metcalfe, I. (2017) Tectonic evolution of Sundaland. Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM), 63, 27–60.
  16. Nel, A., Prokop, J., Grandcolas, P., Garrouste, R., Lapeyrie, J., Legendre, F., Anisyutkin, L.N. & Kirejtshuk, A.G. (2014) The beetle-like Palaeozoic and Mesozoic roachoids of the so-called “umenocoleoid” lineage (Dictyoptera: Ponopterixidae fam. nov.). Comptes Rendus Palevol, 13, 545–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2014.05.002
  17. Ross, A.J. (2022) Supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography, 2021. Palaeoentomology, 5, 27–45. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.5.1.4
  18. Santiago-Blay, J.A., Anderson, S.R. & Buckley, R.T. (2005) Possible implications of two new angiosperm flowers from Burmese amber (Lower Cretaceous) for well-established and diversified insect-plant associations. Entomological news, 116 (5), 341.
  19. Sendi, H. (2022a) Diverse Liberiblattinidae (Insecta: Blattaria) from Lebanese and North Myanmar amber document allometric modifications near lowest size limit. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 127–148. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0108
  20. Sendi, H. (2022b) Highly specialised basal ectobiid cockroaches (Blattaria: Blattoidea) were rare in Burmese amber. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 109–125. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0106
  21. Sendi, H., Hinkelman, J., Vršanská, L., Kúdelová, T., Kúdela, M., Zuber, M., van de Kamp, T. & Vršanský, P. (2020) Roach nectarivory, gymnosperm and earliest flower pollination evidence from Cretaceous ambers. Biologia, 75, 1613–1630. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00412-x
  22. Sendi, H., Le Tirant, S., Palková, H., Chorvát, D., Šurka, J. & Cumming, R. (2023) Umenocoleidae (Insecta: Dictyoptera) from Turonian sediments of Kzyl-Zhar, Kazakhstan and Cenomanian northern Myanmar amber. Biologia, 78, 1585–1609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01356-z
  23. Song, Z., Xu, C., Li, J., Jarzembowski, E.A., Wang, B. & Xiao, C. (2022) A new species of Pabuonqedidae (Blattaria: Mastotermitoidea) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0111
  24. Shi, G., Grimaldi, D.A., Harlow, G.E., Wang, J., Wang, J., Yang, M., Lei, W., Li, Q. & Li, X. (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
  25. Szabó, M., Szabó, P., Kóbor, P. & Ősi, A. (2023) Alienopterix santonicus sp. n., a metallic cockroach from the Late Cretaceous ajkaite amber (Bakony Mts, western Hungary) documents Alienopteridae within the Mesozoic Laurasia. Biologia, 78, 1701–1712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01265-7
  26. Šmídová, L. (2022) New genus and species of the families Olidae and Corydiidae (Corydioidea, Blattodea) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 321, 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0117
  27. Šmídová, L., Vidlička, Ľ. & Wedmann, S. (2022) Appearance of the family Blaberidae (Insecta: Blattaria) during the Cretaceous and a review of fossils of this family. Palaeontographica, Abteilung A, 321, 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2021/0109
  28. Taniguchi, R., Nishino, H., Watanabe, H., Yamamoto, S. & Iba, Y. (2021) Reconstructing the ecology of a Cretaceous cockroach: destructive and high-resolution imaging of its micro sensory organs. The Science of Nature, 108, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01755-9
  29. Vishniakova, V. (1968) Mesozoic cockroaches with an external ovipositor and pecularities of their reproduction (Blattodea). In: Rohdendorf, B.B. (Ed.), Jurassic Insects of Karatau. Nauka, Moscow, pp. 55–86.
  30. Vršanský, P. (2003) Umenocoleoidea—an amazing lineage of aberrant insects (Insecta, Blattaria). Amba projekty, 7, 1–32.
  31. Vršanský, P. & Ansorge, J. (2001) New Lower Cretaceous polyphagid cockroaches from Spain (Blattaria, Polyphagidae, Vitisminae subfam. nov.). Cretaceous Research, 22, 157–162. https://doi.org/10.1006/cres.2000.0244
  32. Vrsanský, P. & Bechly, G. (2015) New predatory cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria: Manipulatoridae fam. n.) from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Geologica Carpathica, 66 (2), 133. https://doi.org/10.1515/geoca-2015-0015
  33. Vršanský, P., Bechly, G., Zhang, Q., Jarzembowski, E.A., Mlynský, T., Šmídová, L., Barna, P., Kúdela, M., Aristov, D. & Bigalk, S. (2018) Batesian insect-insect mimicry-related explosive radiation of ancient alienopterid cockroaches. Biologia, 73, 987–1006. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0117-3
  34. Vršanský, P., Aristov, D., Hain, M., Kudelova, T., Kúdela, M., Metscher, B., Palkova, H., Káčerová, J. & Hinkelman, J. (2023a) Longest-surviving Carboniferous-family insect found in Mesozoic amber. Biologia, 78, 1611–1626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01192-7
  35. Vršanský, P., Palková, H., Vršanská, L., Koubová, I. & Hinkelman, J. (2023b) Mesozoic origin-delayed explosive radiation of the cockroach family Corydiidae Saussure, 1864. Biologia, 78, 1627–1658. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01279-1
  36. Wappler, T. & Vršanský, P. (2022) Cockroaches: masters of ancient non-aquatic ecosystems. Palaeontogr, Abteilung A, 321, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-022-01279-1
  37. Westerweel, J., Roperch, P., Licht, A., Dupont-Nivet, G., Win, Z., Poblete, F., Ruffet, G., Swe, H.H., Thi, M.K. & Aung, D.W. (2019) Burma Terrane part of the Trans-Tethyan arc during collision with India according to palaeomagnetic data. Nature Geoscience, 12, 863–868. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0443-2
  38. Zhang, X., Li, J. & Luo, C. (2023) A new cockroach Huablattula vrsanskyi sp. n.(Blattaria: Blattulidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Biologia, 78, 1695–1699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01344-3
  39. Zherikhin, V. (1978) Development and changes of the Cretaceous and Cenozoic faunal assemblages (Tracheata and Chelicerata). Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk SSSR, 165, 1–198.