Electropsychops, Lu, Xiumei, Zhang, Weiwei, Ohl, Michael & Liu, Xingyue, 2017

Lu, Xiumei, Zhang, Weiwei, Ohl, Michael & Liu, Xingyue, 2017, New genus and species of silky lacewing (Insecta: Neuroptera: Psychopsidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Zootaxa 4291 (2), pp. 373-383 : 374-376

Genus Electropsychops gen. nov.

( FigS. 1–4 )

Type species. Electropsychops handlirschi sp. nov.

Diagnosis. The new genuS pOSSeSS SOme typical characterS Of PSychOpSidae, Such aS the preSence Of a vena triplica, a Straight ending Of RA with Only One marginal fOrk, and it lackS a median nygma. It can be eaSily Separated frOm the Other genera Of PSychOpSidae by the cOmbinatiOn Of the fOllOwing characterS: 1) fOrewing elOngate, OvOid [brOadly triangular in mOSt pSychOpSid genera]; 2) fOrewing cOStal Space brOad prOximally, but Slightly narrOwed tOward apex [nOt narrOwed diStad in Other pSychOpSid genera]; 3) mOSt cOStal crOSSveinS Simple in prOximal and middle Of cOStal Space, withOut interlinked veinletS [mOStly branched diStad, Often with interlinked veinletS in the Other pSychOpSid genera]; 4) Stem Of hind wing MA preSent aS a SigmOid Oblique veinlet [ShOrt and Straight in the Other pSychOpSid genera]; 5) Several brancheS Of RP deeply fOrked [very few brancheS Of RP deeply fOrked at leaSt in extant pSychOpSid genera]; 6) fOrewing with Only One cOmplete gradate crOSSveinS SerieS On diStal part Of RP regiOn [mOre than One gradate crOSSveinS SerieS preSent in mOSt pSychOpSid genera]; 7) fOrewing CuP dichOtOmOuSly branched almOSt frOm itS baSe [branched after itS midlength in mOSt pSychOpSid genera].

Etymology. Electropsychops iS cOmbined by Electrum (Latin, meaning “amber”) and Psychops (a typical genuS-grOup name in PSychOpSidae ), in reference tO the preSence Of the new genuS in amber and itS Similarity with Psychops. Gender maSculine.

......continued on the next page *The species listed here are currently placed in Psychopsidae , but some of which lack typical features of Psychopsidae (at least not preserved in fossil) and more resemble Osmylopsychopidae .

Remarks. The familial affiliatiOn Of the new genuS aS PSychOpSidae iS baSed On the cOnfiguratiOn Of fOllOwing fOrewing characterS: preSence Of a baSal nygma and lacking Of a median nygma, preSence Of a branched recurrent humeral veinlet, preSence Of vena triplica, SubcOStal Space with many crOSSveinS, ending Of RA Straight and Simple with One marginal fOrk, preSence Of Outer gradate SerieS Of crOSSveinS. NOtably, the new genuS alSO ShareS SOme wing characterS with OSmylOpSychOpidae, Such aS the fOrewing cOStal Space narrOwed diStad and a SigmOid hind wing MA Stem. HOwever, theSe twO characterS are pleSiOmOrphic in NeurOptera and cannOt Stand aS the argument Of placement Of the new genuS in OSmylOpSychOpidae . FurthermOre, the new genuS alSO lackS the deeply and prOfuSely branched fOrewing MA, which iS cOnSidered tO be an autapOmOrphic character Of OSmylOpSychOpidae ( Peng et al. 2016) . COnSidering the male genitalia, the paired ectOprOctS with a calluS cerci and the preSence Of a Subanale cOrreSpOnd tO the general genital feature Of extant PSychOpSidae .

Litopsychopsis iS the firSt deScribed pSychOpSid genuS frOm the mid-CretaceOuS BurmeSe amber ( Engel & Grimaldi 2008). DeSpite the incOmplete preServatiOn cOnditiOn Of type Of thiS genuS, the fOrewing Of Litopsychopsis appearS tO be alSO elOngate but nOt brOadly triangular, which SuggeStS pOSSible clOSe relatiOnShip between thiS genuS and Electropsychops gen. nov. HOwever, the new genuS can be diStinguiShed frOm Litopsychopsis by the preSence Of Only One cOmplete gradate SerieS Of crOSSveinS in the fOrewing, the hind wing with Slightly pOinted anterOdiStal cOrner, and the arcuately arranged hind wing Outer gradate SerieS Of crOSSveinS. In Litopsychopsis there are twO gradate SerieS Of crOSSveinS On diStal part Of fOrewing, and the hind wing iS rOunded On anterOdiStal cOrner with Straightly arranged Outer gradate SerieS Of crOSSveinS.

The OSmylOpSychOpid genuS Stenopteropsychops Peng, Makarkin & Ren, 2016 frOm the Middle JuraSSic Of China alSO pOSSeSSeS unuSual elOngate fOrewing. HOwever, it differS frOm Electropsychops gen. nOv. by the fOllOwing fOrewing featureS: mOSt cOStal crOSSveinS with marginal fOrk, MA Originated frOm R, and the barely branched CuP.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus photograph of Electropsychops handlirschi gen. et sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal review. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Electropsychops handlirschi gen. et sp. nov., holotype male. A. Drawing of right forewing; B. Drawing of left forewing; C. Drawing left hind wing. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Electropsychops handlirschi gen. et sp. nov., holotype male. A. Photograph of head; B. Photograph of right foreleg; C. Drawing of right foreleg; D. Photograph of left forewing base; E. Photograph of right forewing base. ts: tibial spurs. Scale bar: 0.5 mm (A – B, D – E); 0.1 mm (C)

FIGURE 4. Electropsychops handlirschi gen. et sp. nov., holotype male. A. Photograph of genitalia; B. Drawing of genitalia. T: tergum; c: callus cercus; e: ectoproct; sa: subanale. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.