Palaeopsilotreta Wichard & Wang, 2017

WICHARD, WILFRIED, MÜLLER, PATRICK & XU, CHUN-PENG, 2021, The odontocerid genera Psilotreta and Palaeopsilotreta (Insecta, Trichoptera) embedded in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Palaeoentomology 4 (4), pp. 331-338 : 334

Genus Palaeopsilotreta Wichard & Wang, 2017

Type species. Palaeopsilotreta xiai Wichard & Wang, 2017

Revised diagnosis. Head: Male antennae (partially) bipectinate,about as long as forewings.Rami of bipectinate flagellomeres slim and about as long as flagellomeres. Female antennae simple, not bipectinate. Maxillary palps five-segmented, terminal segment not flexible or annulate. Ocelli absent. Frontal, antennal and posterior setose warts present. Thorax: Pronotum with two pronotal setose warts, mesoscutum bearing pair of setose warts, mesoscutellum covered by a single wart, large, domelike and ovoid. Tibial spurs: 2/4/4. Wings: In fore- and hindwings forks I, II, (III) and V present; discoidal cells open or closed, medial cell absent. In forewings media M variable: Simple (M 1, 2, 3, 4) or two-branched in M 1+2 and M 3+4 or three-branched in M 1, M 2 and M 3+4. Cu 2 reaching wing margin and not being reduced or absent as in other odontocerid genera. Male genitalia: Inferior appendages two-segmented, harpagoes originating from apex of coxopodites ( P. xiai , P. burmanica and P. cretacea ) or originating mesally on coxopodites ( P. kachini and P. succini ).

Remarks. The affiliation of the genus Palaeopsilotreta to the family Odontoceridae was discussed and proposed in Wichard et al. (2020). Palaeopsilotreta is closely related to Psilotreta and is distinguished by the apomorphic, bipectinated antennae in the male, which are not verified in any species of Psilotreta .

Based on the presence of five-segmented palpi, the spur formula being 2/4/4, the absence of the medial cell and the presence of wing forks I, II, (III), and V in both wings (as in Psilotreta ), we can assign the fossil genus Palaeopsilotreta to Odontoceridae . Whether the genus Palaeopsilotreta is a monophyletic group of the family Odontoceridae or of a closely related family (e. g., Philorheithridae ) needs in time to be investigated with further fossil findings and taxonomic data.