Plesiognoriste zherikhini, BLAGODEROV & GRIMALDI, 2004

BLAGODEROV, VLADIMIR & GRIMALDI, DAVID, 2004, Fossil Sciaroidea (Diptera) in Cretaceous Ambers, Exclusive of Cecidomyiidae, Sciaridae, and Keroplatidae, American Museum Novitates 3433 (1), pp. 1-76 : 15-17

Plesiognoriste zherikhini , new species

Figure 14 , Plate 2A

DIAGNOSIS: Scape and pedicel not enlarged, flagellomeres short, eyes form incomplete bridge, apical palpal segment rounded, M 3+4 strongly curved, legs not modified.

DESCRIPTION: Body length = 1.40 mm; wing length = 1.22 mm. Head: Postocciput flat. Antennae inserted near middle of face. Scape and pedicel not enlarged, widths equal to width of average flagellomere. Flagellum 14­segmented, flagellomeres cylindrical, width about equal to length, setulose. Frons setose. Eyes setulose, emarginate at antennal bases, forming lobes toward middle of head 4–5 facets wide, but dorsal bridge incomplete, separated by distance more than 4Χ facet diameter. Ocelli three, equal in size to the distance from middle to lateral ocelli, twice the length as from lateral ocellus to eye margin (distance of lateral ocellus from eye margin equal to diameter of ocellus). Face setose. Palpi short, only 2 visible, rounded segments, with numerous hairs. Clypeus bare. Thorax: Scutum with long lateral, dorsocentral, and acrostichal setae. Scutellum with 6 long setae. Anterior parapsidal suture distinct. Suture between antepronotum and proepisternum oblique. Proepimeron touches mesepisternum at anepisternal suture. Anepisternal cleft narrow, oblique. Mediotergite and laterotergites bare. Metepisternum touches katepisternum. Wing membrane without macrotrichia, with scattered microtrichia. All veins setose. Costa ends beyond tip of R 5, one­third the length between tips of R 5 and M 1. Sc very short, ends free. R 1 short, about 0.5 wing length. R 5 about 0.85Χ wing length, curved slightly, runs very close to R 1. M 1 confined to apical third of wing. RS base, M 1 and stem of M absent. Crossvein r­m fused with R 5, horizontal, fused with CuA base. CuA base weak. Base of M 3+4 and CuA fork at level of tip of R 1. M 3+4 curved and well rounded. CuA with two straight segments forming obtuse angle. Legs: Coxae almost equal in length. Hind coxae bare at base. Fore tibia distally with apical hemispherical anteroapical depression with comb of fine setae. Tarsal claw without teeth. Abdomen shorter than wings, with 7 visible segments, setose. Sixth and 7th segments twice as short as 5th, 8th retracted. Cerci one­segmented.

MATERIAL: Holotype PIN 3311 /664, female. Russia: Taimyr Peninsula , Yantardakh, coll. 1971.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet is a patronym in honor of the late Dr. Vladimir Zherikhin of the Paleontological Institute in Moscow, prominent paleoentomologist, who collected the specimen.

Figures

Figs. 12–14. Plesiognoriste, n.gen. 12. P. carpenteri, n.sp. holotype MCZC 6927. 13. P. carpenteri, male genitalia. 14. P. zherikhini, n.sp., holotype PIN 3311/664