Nanoraphidia Engel, 2002

Liu, Xingyue, Lu, Xiumei & Zhang, Weiwei, 2016, New genera and species of the minute snakeflies (Raphidioptera: Mesoraphidiidae: Nanoraphidiini) from the mid Cretaceous of Myanmar, Zootaxa 4103 (4), pp. 301-324 : 316

Genus Nanoraphidia Engel, 2002

( Figs. 12–13 )

Type species: Nanoraphidia electroburmica Engel, 2002: 3 .

Diagnosis. Minute size. Head ovoid, with portion posterior to compound eyes nearly as long as eye length and tapering caudad, and with clypeus slightly shorter than compound eye length; three small ocelli present on posterior half of head; antenna nearly as long as head plus prothorax, with 20–30 flagellomeres. Pro- and mesotibiae distinctly swollen, metatibia feebly swollen, all tibiae lacking tibial spur. Forewing: Costal space distinctly broadened; pterostigma elongate, ~1/3× wing length, without pterostigmal crossvein, proximally closed by a crossvein and distally closed by a veinlet of RA; Scp terminating into C slightly distad wing midpoint; posterior veinlet of RA zig-zagged with stem of RA; RP distally bifurcated; MA distally trifurcated; two radial cells, one discal cell, and two discoidal cells present. Hindwing: Configuration of pterostigmal area same to that of male; stem of MA proximally fused with MP; a slightly oblique proximal mp-cua present; two radial cells, one discal cell, and one discoidal cell present; A1 proximally fused with CuP for a short distance.

Remarks. This genus appears to be closely related to Cantabroraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Nel, Peñalver & Delclòs, 2010 and Amarantoraphidia Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver, Delclòs & Engel, 2012 from the Early Cretaceous amber of Spain in having generally similar cephalic feature and wing venation. However, Nanoraphidia can be distinguished from the latter two genera by the distally trifurcate MA (MA distally bifurcated in Cantabroraphidia and Amarantoraphidia) and the presence of only one forewing discoidal cell (two discoidal cells present in Cantabroraphidia and Amarantoraphidia).

Nanoraphidia lithographica Jepson, Ansorge & Jarzemborski, 2011 from the Early Cretaceous of Spain differs from N. electroburmica by the forewing RA with posterior branch continuous with its stem and the distally bifurcated MA, and it more resembles the species of Amarantoraphidia and Cantabroraphidia from the Early Cretaceous amber of Spain. However, the latter two genera possess two forewing discoidal cells. At any rate, the generic placement of N. lithographica should be re-considered.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Nanoraphidia electroburmica Engel, EMTG BA- 001202. A. Habitus in dorsal view; B. Drawing of fore- and hindwing; C. Drawing of female genitalia, lateral view; D. Drawing of female genitalia, dorsal view. T: tergum; S: sternum; gst: gonostylus; op: ovipositor; e: ectoproct. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 13. Nanoraphidia electroburmica Engel. A. EMTG BA- 002164, habitus (left: male; right: female); B. PCXJ BA- 0 0 0 4, habitus in dorsal view; C. Same specimen, male genitalia in dorsal view; D. Same specimen, drawing of male genitalia in dorsal view; E. Same specimen, male genitalia in ventral view; F. Same specimen, drawing of male genitalia in ventral view. Arrows indicating putative gonocoxites 9 or gonocoxites + gonostyli 9. T: tergum; e: ectoproct. Scale bar = 1.0 mm (A – B) and 0.5 mm (C – F).