Stictosisyra pennyi Yang, Shi, Wang & Pang

Yang, Qiang, Shi, Chaofan, Ren, Dong, Wang, Yongjie & Pang, Hong, 2018, New genus and species of sisyrids (Insecta, Neuroptera) from the Late Cretaceous Myanmar amber, ZooKeys 739, pp. 151-158 : 153-156

Stictosisyra pennyi Yang, Shi, Wang & Pang sp. n. Fig. 1, 2, 3

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in memory of Dr. Norman D. Penny (1946-2016), in recognition of his great contribution to the lacewing study. The first two authors were impressed by his kindles and generosity when visiting the California Academy of Sciences in 2016.

Diagnosis.

As for the genus.

Holotype.

CNU-NEU-MA2017006, assumed male, nearly complete and well preserved specimen.

Locality and horizon.

Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, northern Myanmar; lowermost Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous.

Description.

Holotype CNU-NEU-MA2017006. Total body length 2.9 mm. Head and body with numerous scattered, fine setae; head about as wide as long. Compound eyes large. Antenna moniliform, with scattered setae all over; scape nearly 2 times as long as wide, slightly thicker than flagellum; pedicel elongate, about 2 times as long as wide; flagellum with about 25 flagellomeres, first flagellomere longer than others, about as long as pedicel, and last one elongate, about 2.5 times as long as other flagellomeres, apically tapered. Pronotum narrower than head, twice as long as wide; pro-, meso- and metanotum with scattered, fine, long setae. Legs relatively long and slender, with numerous short setae intermixed with long setae. Foreleg: coxa elongated; femur long and slender; tibia nearly as long as femur; basitarsus nearly thrice as long as second tarsomere, the last four tarsomeres of same length. Mid-, hind legs poorly preserved. Abdomen nine segments, with scattered short setae.

Forewing length 3.0 mm, width 1.1 mm (right forewing); elongated ovoid, apex rounded, with dense relatively short setae on veins and longer setae on margins; membrane with fuscous spots over whole wing; trichosors prominent along entire wing margin. Humeral vein short and simple, not recurrent, perpendicular to ScP; presumable ScA not detected; costal space narrow; subcostal veinlets simple, not forked, pterostigma not present. ScP and RA fused distally, entering margin before wing apex. Only one sc-r present. Four ra-rp crossveins, distalmost ra-rp crossvein located at fusion of ScP and RA; RP separated from RA just proximal to sc-r, with three branches. RP1, RP2 configuration similarly, dichotomously forked, RP3 with a distal fork, about two crossveins between RP1, RP2, and one crossvein between RP2, RP3. M divided into MA and MP at 2m-cu, far from separation of RP1 from RP stem, one ma-mp crossvein present; MA distally forked twice, MP pectinately forked, with two branches distally; three r-m crossveins between RP and M; Cu divided into CuA and CuP near wing base at level of RP origin, three m-cu crossveins; CuA pectinately forked, with three (right forewing) or four (left forewing) simple branches distal to 2m-cu; CuP simple, one crossvein between CuA, CuP; only one 2cu-aa visible; AA1, AA2, AA3 configuration similarly, each with a distal fork, no crossveins detected between AA region.

Hind wing elongate, slightly smaller than forewing, length 2.5 mm, width 0.9 mm (right hind wing). Trichosors prominent along entire wing margin. No color spots on wing or along margin. Costal space narrow, distally dilated, especially distad fusion of ScP and RA. Subcostal veinlets simple, sparsely spaced, pterostigma not present. Subcostal space broader than costal space, basally narrowed; no crossvein detected. ScP, RA fused distally. ScP+RA entering wing margin before apex, with three simple distal veinlets. RA space wider than subcostal space, with one crossveins located between origin of RP2 and RP3. RP originated near wing base, with three branches originating far from wing base, each forked distally. Stem of RP and RP3 just with a distal fork; RP1 dichomously forked, RP2 forked twice distally. Three crossvein between RP region; three r-m crossveins between RP and M, basal 1r-m between stem R and M long and strongly sinuous. M forked distad origin of RP and proximal to origin of RP1. MA dichotomously branched distally; MP forked twice distally. Only one crossvein between MA and MP. CuA long, pectinately branched with about three simple branches; CuP long and simple. One crossvein between M and Cu; one crossvein visible between CuA and CuP. Anal veins not preserved.

Remarks.

Stictosisyra gen. n. is different from other fossil sisyrids genera in the following characters: 1) without long siphonate mouthparts ( Paradoxosisyra with long siphonate mouthparts); 2) forewing with four ra-rp ( Paleosisyra eocenica with two, P. electrobaltica and P. minor with three); 3) hind wing ScP and RA fused before entering the margin, and with one ra-rp ( Prosisyrina hind wing ScP and RA terminate separately, with two ra-rp).

Comments.

Male genitalia. The genitalia of the holotype was not well preserved in the amber; furthermore, the morphology is quite different from that of other sisyrids. Herein we tentatively assume the specimen to be a male based on the morphology of abdomen, especially of the terminalia, and the preserved posture. The genitalia are interpreted as follows: tergite 9 and ectoproct fused; sternite 9 shorter than tergite 9+ectoproct; gonarcus extend beyond tergite 9+ectoproct, otherwise, may be caused by posteriorly incomplete preservation of tergite 9+ectoproct; gonarcus narrowly arched medially, with two arms ventrally and afterwards anteriorly extended; each arm with a tiny extension pointed posteriorly; large, and almost whole external gonocoxites 9, connected with gonarcus.