Eremobittacus opeth, Poschmann & Nel, 2022

Poschmann, Markus J. & Nel, André, 2022, A hangingfly (Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the late Oligocene Fossillagerstätte Enspel, Westerwald (SW Germany), Palaeoentomology 5 (1), pp. 46-56 : 47

Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov.

( Figs 2–6 ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:50545E36-D53F-4A0B-AC94-B1D08C547B0E

Type material. Holotype NHMMZ PE 2006/5031- LS a, b, part and counterpart, preserved in bituminous black pelites from Enspel ( Germany). Deposited in the Landessammlung für Naturkunde Rheinland-Pfalz at the Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz , Germany ( NHMMZ).

Etymology. Named for the Swedish metal/hardrock band Opeth.

Diagnosis. A species of Eremobittacus with clouded (colored) areas in forewing very similar to those of Eremobittacus spinulatus except for the presence of hyaline zone between CuA and posterior wing margin vs. colored; hind basitarsomere about as long as tibia spurs and shorter than second plus third, as in E. spinulatus .

Type locality and horizon. Enspel, Westerwald, SW Germany; Laminites of the uppermost Enspel Formation ( Schäfer et al., 2011; Schindler & Wuttke, 2015; lithozone C/D sensu Felder et al., 1998); Late Oligocene, 24.9–24.5 Ma; Mammal Paleogene zone MP 28 ( Storch et al., 1996; Mertz et al., 2007).

Description. The fossil is a rather complete compression, except for lacking details of hind wings and of abdomen. Clouded (colored) areas in forewing consisting of small maculae at OM, ORs, and FRs, transverse stripes covering crossveins at origins of RP3- RP4 fork to MP1-MP2 fork, below Pt in area between RP3 and MP2, and larger colored patches at Pt and in apical part of wing, but not in area between CuA and posterior wing margin. Forewings petiolate, slender in basal one-third, with rather straight anterior margin, about 18 mm long and 3.9 mm wide; subcostal area between C and ScP up to 0.21 mm wide, narrower than that between ScP and R/RA (0.24 mm wide); base to OM (divergence of M from M+CuA) at 28 % of total length in forewing; Sc joining C well beyond FRs in forewing; two Pcv; vein CuP ending far beyond FM in forewing; vein PCu ending far beyond OM in forewing; A ending well basad OM in forewing; crossveins of second and third ranks between RP4 and MP2 well aligned.

Legs uniform dark-brown, quite elongate; fore and mid femora thin; hind femora widened in basal two-thirds; tibiae distinctly longer than respective femora; apical spurs of hind tibia very long, as long as basitarsomere; hind basitarsus approximately 1.7 times the length of the fourth tarsomere, distinctly shorter than the second and third together ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov., holotype, part NHMMZ PE 2006/5031-LSa. A, Photograph. B, Sketch drawing. Scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURE 3. Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov., holotype, counterpart NHMMZ PE 2006/5031-LSb. A, Photograph. B, Sketch drawing. Scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURE 4. Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov., holotype NHMMZ PE 2006/5031-LS. A, B, Forewings from part. A, Left forewing. B, Right forewing. C, Detail of counterpart showing head with proboscis and thoracic region. Scale bars = 5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov., holotype, part NHMMZ PE 2006/5031-LSa. Sketch drawings of left (labelled) and right forewings, respectively. Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 6. Eremobittacus opeth sp. nov., holotype NHMMZ PE 2006/5031-LS. Hind tarsus. A, Counterpart. B, Part. C, Combination of part and counterpart. D, Sketch drawing. Scale bars = 1 mm.