Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2008-10-31
Page range: 29–40
Abstract views: 72
PDF downloaded: 1

Microphorites (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from the Lower Cretaceous amber of San Just (Spain), and the co-occurrence of two ceratopogonid specaies in Spanish amber deposits

Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física (Entomología), Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
Museo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, E-28003 Madrid, Spain
Departament d’Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, E-08071, Barcelona, Spain
Diptera Insecta Dolichopodidae Microphorites new species Ceratopogonidae Protoculicoides Leptoconops Cretaceous amber Spain

Abstract

A well preserved female specimen of the extinct genus Microphorites Hennig, 1971 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) is known from San Just Amber (Lower Cretaceous, Albian, East Spain) and described as M. utrillensis nov. sp. In addition, ceratopogonids from the same deposit have been recognized as specimens of Protoculicoides skalskii Szadziewski & Arillo, 1998 and Leptoconops zherikhini Szadziewski & Arillo, 2003 two species known previously in Spanish amber from Álava. The new specimens make it possible to complete and emend the original description of P. skalskii. Palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical comments are provided.

References

  1. Alonso, J., Arillo, A., Barrón, E., Corral, J.C., Grimalt, J., López, J.F., López, R., Martínez-Delclòs, X., Ortuño, V.M., Peñalver, E. & Trincão, P.R. (2000) A new fossil resin with biological inclusions in Lower Cretaceous deposits from

    Álava (Northern Spain, Basque-Cantabrian Basin). Journal of Paleontology, 74 (1), 158–178.

    Corral, J.C., López del Valle, R. & Alonso, J. (1999) El ámbar cretácico de Álava (Cuenca Vasco-Cantábrica, norte de España). Su colecta y preparación. Estudios del Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, 14 (Special Publication, number 2), 7–21.

    Delclòs, X., Arillo, A., Peñalver, E., Barrón, E., Soriano, C., López del Valle, R., Bernárdez, E., Corral, C. & Ortuño, V.M. (2007) Fossiliferous amber deposits from the Cretaceous (Albian) of Spain. Comptes Rendus Paleovol, 6, 135–149.

    Delclòs, X. & Soriano, C. (2007) The Lower Cretaceous Amber from San Just (Albian). Escucha Formation (The Iberian Basin). In: Mesozoic and Cenozoic Spanish insect localities. FossilsX3·2007 Field Trip Guide Book, 24–31. Diputación Foral de Álava, Vitoria.

    Evenhuis, N.L. (1994) Catalogue of the fossil flies of the world (Insecta: Diptera). Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 600 pp.

    Grimaldi, D.A. & Engel, M.S. (2005) Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press, New York, 755 pp.

    Grimaldi, D.A. & Cumming, J. (1999) Brachyceran Diptera in Cretaceous ambers and Mesozoic diversification of the Eremoneura. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 239, 124 pp.

    Hennig, W. (1971) Insektenfossilien aus der unteren Kreide. III. Empidiformia ("Microphoridae") aus der unteren Kreide und aus dem Baltischen Bernstein; ein Vertreter der Cyclorrhapha aus der unteren Kreide. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, 232, 1–28.

    Nel, A., Perrichot, V., Daugeron, Ch. & Néraudeau, D. (2004) A new Microphorites in the Lower Cretaceous amber of the Southwest of France (Diptera: Dolichopodidae, “Microphorinae”). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France(n.s.), 40 (1), 23–29.

    Peñalver, E., Delclòs, X. & Soriano, C. (2007) A new and rich amber outcrop with palaeobiological inclusions from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. Cretaceous Research, 28, 791–802.

    Peñalver, E., Grimaldi, D.A. & Delclòs, X. (2006) Early Cretaceous Spider Web with Its Prey. Science, 312, 1761.

    Querol, X., Salas, R., Pardo, G. & Ardevol, L. (1992) Albian coal-bearing deposits of the Iberian Range in northeastern Spain. Pp. 193–208 in P.J. McCabe & J.T. Parrisch (eds) Controls on the Distribution and Quality of Cretaceous Coals. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado, Special Paper 267.

    Salas, R. & Guimerà, J. (1997) Estructura y estratigrafía secuencial de la cuenca del Maestrazgo durante la etapa de rift Jurásica superior-Cretácica inferior (Cordillera Ibérica Oriental). Boletín Geológico y Minero, 108, 393–402.

    Salas, R., Guimerà, J., Mas, R., Martín-Closas, C., Meléndez, A. & Alonso, A. (2001) Evolution of the Mesozoic Central Iberian Rift System and its Cainozoic inversion (Iberian chain). Pp. 145–185 in P.A. Ziegler, W. Cavazza, A.H.F. Robertson & S. Crasquin-Soleau (eds) Peri-Tethys Memoir 6: Peri-Tethyan Rift/Wrench Basins and Passive Margins. Mémoires du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

    Sinclair, B.J. & Cumming, J.M. (2006) The morphology, higher-level phylogeny and classification of the Empidoidea (Diptera). Zootaxa, 1180, 1–172.

    Szadziewski, R. & Arillo, A. (1998) Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Lower Cretaceous amber from Álava, Spain. Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 67, 291–298.

    Szadziewski, R. & Arillo, A. (2003) The oldest fossil record of the extant subgenus Leptoconops (Leptoconops) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 46 (suppl.-Fossil Insects), 271–275.