Leptotarsus contractus, Ribeiro, Guilherme C. & Lukashevich, Elena D., 2014

Ribeiro, Guilherme C. & Lukashevich, Elena D., 2014, New Leptotarsus from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and Spain: the oldest members of the family Tipulidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 3753 (4), pp. 347-363 : 360

Leptotarsus contractus sp. nov.

( Figs 9 , 26 )

Type material. Holotype: LH 15419± (part and counterpart of male without head). East-central Spain, Las Hoyas; La Huérguina Limestone Formation, Late Barremian, Early Cretaceous. Housed in Museo de Ciencias de Castillia—La Mancha.

Etymology. From the Latin contractus (tightened) in reference to unusually narrow shape of wing.

Diagnosis. This species differ from all Cretaceous species by longer Rs (Rs origin proximal to connection of m-cu and Cu) and narrower wing.

Description. Thorax stout, as long as wide, transverse suture distinct, praescutal longitudinal stripes clearly delimited. Wing transparent except for dark pterostigma. Sc reaching wing margin at the level of first bifurcation of Rs and beyond level of the tip of Cu; sc-r present, positioned near the tip of Sc; Rs 1.8 times longer than R2+3; R1 reaching wing margin distal to level of R2+3 bifurcation; r-r oblique, linking R1 to R2, R2 oblique; medial vein fourbranched; discal cell narrowed; distal sections of veins M3 and M4 subparallel, subequal; long m-cu linking Cu to the base of M4. Abdomen stout, ca. 1.5x longer than thorax; gonocoxite conical, probably as long as wide.

Measurements. Body length, 7.1. Wing length/width, 7.1–7.4/1.6.

Note. One of the wings is probably distorted judging by the shape of second wing with unclear venation. The virtually straight vein m-cu ( Fig. 9 ) is also suggestive of such distortion. In Tipulidae in general, m-cu is not straight but curved.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Leptotarsus contractus sp. nov., from Las Hoyas, Early Cretaceous, Spain, holotype LH 15419, total view.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Wing venation of Leptotarsus spp. from Las Hoyas, Early Cretaceous, Spain. 5 — L. buscalioniae sp. nov., holotype LH 35088, right wing. 6 — L. buscalioniae sp. nov., holotype LH 35088, left wing. 7 — L. ibericus sp. nov., holotype LH 28206. 8 — L. ibericus sp. nov., paratype LH 29995. 9 — L. contractus sp. nov., holotype LH 15419. Scale bar 1 mm.