Hennigmatidae Shcherbakov, 1995

Lara, María Belén & Lukashevich, Elena D., 2013, The first Triassic dipteran (Insecta) from South America, with review of Hennigmatidae, Zootaxa 3710 (1), pp. 81-92 : 82

Family Hennigmatidae Shcherbakov in Shcherbakov, Lukashevich et Blagoderov, 1995

The family, comprising two subfamilies, Kuperwoodiinae and Hennigmatinae , has been established based on three isolated wings from the Triassic and Cretaceous of Asia ( Shcherbakov et al. 1995). The subfamily Kuperwoodinae , established based on a single wing from the Ladinian or Carnian of Kyrgyzstan, so far remains unknown elsewhere, whereas the nominative subfamily appears to be rare but widespread in the Mesozoic. The type genus Hennigma Shcherbakov, 1995 was described from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. Later, Ansorge (2001) synonymized it under Metatrichopteridium Handlirsch, 1939 from the Early Jurassic (Early Toarcian) of Germany, previously erroneously referred to Trichoptera ( Handlirsch 1939). Another genus of this subfamily, Daohennigma Lukashevich, Huang et Lin, 2006 , close in its wing venation to Metatrichopteridium , was described from the Middle or Late Jurassic of China based on a single body fossil ( Lukashevich et al. 2006). The third genus of this subfamily, Anemeca Shcherbakov, 1995 —of debatable systematic position—is known from the Triassic (Ladinian or Carnian) of Kyrgyzstan (see Discussion).

The species described below can be assigned to Hennigmatidae based on the following characters diagnostic of the family: wing with main forks and crossveins more or less shifted to base; Sc apex beyond wing midlength; R base up to MA weak; Rs originating very early, close to MA; R 2 free; R 2+3+4 aligned with Rs stem, forking symmetrically into R 2+3 and R 4; R 5 separated before wing midlength, earlier than R 4; alular incision distinct and anal lobe prominent. Another character, included in the original diagnosis of the family as “strong convex M base aligned with CuA” ( Shcherbakov et al. 1995), should be amended as “CuA continued proximal to MA as strong convex CuA base,” because the actual M base, more or less aligned with M 3+4, is clearly visible in the new genus and Anemeca and is also traceable in M. cladistorum ( Figs 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 ). The strength of the CuA base, contrasting to the relative weakness of the R base remains one of the most important diagnostic characters of Hennigmatidae .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Wing venation of Hennigmatidae (holotypes): A, Kuperwoodia benefica Lukashevich, 1995; B, Anemeca liya Shcherbakov, 1995; С, Metatrichopteridium cladistorum (Shcherbakov, 1995); D, Daohennigma panops Lukashevich et al., 2006; modified after Shcherbakov et al., 1995 (A–C) and Lukashevich et al., 2006 (D).

FIGURE 2. A, Kuperwoodia benefica Lukashevich, 1995: holotype PIN 2344/490; B, Anemeca liya Shcherbakov, 1995: holotype PIN 2069/3354.

FIGURE 5. Basiala of Hennigmatinae: A, B, Trihennigma zavattierii gen. et sp. nov.: holotype MCNAM-PI 24607, part and inverted counterpart; C, Metatrichopteridium cladistorum (Shcherbakov, 1995): holotype PIN 3965/2789. Abbreviation: ai— alular incision.

FIGURE 6. Proximal part of the wing of Metatrichopteridium cladistorum (Shcherbakov, 1995): holotype PIN 3965/2789: A, drawing; B, SEM image (SE). Abbreviation: ai—alular incision.