Megabittacus spatiosus, Yang & Ren & Shih, 2012

Yang, Xiaoguang, Ren, Dong & Shih, Chungkun, 2012, New fossil hangingflies (Mecoptera, Raptipeda, Bittacidae) from the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China, Geodiversitas 34 (4), pp. 785-799 : 795-796

Megabittacus spatiosus n. sp. (Figs 3A, B; 4A-D; 5A-D)

HOLOTYPE. — CNU-MEC-NN2010003, lateral view, preserved completely. Deposited at the Key Lab of Insect Evolution & Environmental Changes, the College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University ( CNU), Beijing, China.

ETYMOLOGY. — The Latin word of “ spatiosus ” means long, indicating elongated body and wing.

LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — Dawangzhangzi in Lingyuan, western Liaoning, China; Yixian Formation, Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous.

DIAGNOSIS. — One oblique crossvein from RA to RP1+2 before pterostigma; two crossveins between MP4+CuA1+2 and CuA3+4.

DESCRIPTION

Male, large sized (Fig. 3A, B).

Head

Rostrum short; eyes large; antennae not preserved.

Leg

Long and slender, preserved partially.

Wings

Narrow basally,no thyridium, broadening from base towards rounded apex,with broadly convex posterior margin, pterostigma slightly dark. The wings much narrower and longer at the base than those of previously known bittacids, apices rounded; ScP very long, end - ing not far from the pterostigma, well beyond the fork of RP+MA; RA running through pterostigma, with a short single branch and RA3+4 distally scoop-shaped; RP arising at a distance of about one quarter length of the wing from the base, RP+MA dividing late into four branches.RP1+2 and RP3+4 notably curved, the distance between the RP1+2 and RP3+4 very short and one short crossvein connecting them, MP with four branches, RP3+4+MA forking before MP1+2, slightly after the fork of MP3+MP4+CuA1+2; vein AA3+4 long, extending before the forks of RP+MA and MP, AP1+2 short; in hind wing,AP1+2 coalesced with AA3+4 for a long distance.

Right forewing ScP with two crossveins reaching the wing anterior margin; an oblique basad crossvein from RA to RP1+2 ending before pterostigma; four crossveins between ScP and RA; two crossveins between RP1 and RP2, two crossveins between RP2 and RP3+4, three crossveins between RP3+4 and MA, three crossveins between MA and MP1, three crossveins between MP1 and MP2, three crossveins between MP2 and MP3, two crossveins between MP3 andMP4+CuA1+2 (Fig. 4A).

Left forewing ScP with one crossvein reaching anterior margin; an oblique apicad crossvein from RA to RP1+2 before pterostigma; two crossveins between ScP and RA; two crossveins between RP2 and RP3+4, two crossveins RP3+4 and MA, two crossveins between MP1 and MP2, five crossveins between MP2 and MP3, three crossveins between MP3 and MP4+CuA1+2, four crossveins between CuA3+4 and CuP, two crossveins between AA3+4 and AP1+2 (Fig. 4C).

Right hind wing ScP with one crossvein to anterior margin; an oblique basad crossvein from RA to RP1+2 ending before pterostigma; two crossveins between ScP and RA; no crossveins preserved in RP, MA and MP (Fig. 4B).

Left hind wing ScP with one crossvein reaching anterior margin; five crossveins between ScP and RA; an oblique apicad crossvein from RA to RP1+2 before pterostigma; two crossveins between RP2 and RP3+4, three crossveins between RP3+4 and MA, three crossveins between MA and MP1, two crossveins between MP1 and MP2, one crossvein between MP2 and MP3, five crossveins between CuA3+4 and CuP (Fig. 4D).

Abdomen

Ten segments visible. Genital segment visible, epiandrium long and prong-like, tapering apically with apex curved mesad; upper and low branches of proctiger preserved, upper branch of proctiger with quite long setae; aedeagus of moderate length, recurved (not coiled), with a terminal filamentous extension. (Fig. 5C, D).

Measurement

The entire body nearly 38.0 mm long; forewing 41.0mm long, 11.5mm wide; hind wing 37.2mm long, 11.3 mm wide.