Brachycera in Cretaceous amber, part 9.

97 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.Diverse new basal (aschizan) Cyclorrhapha fossilized in amber are described from the Tertiary and Cretaceous, and their relationships are examined with character-based phylogenetic hypotheses for each family or family group. There are 18 new species in 15 genera (11 of them new) and four families plus the Syrphoidea. Fossils are from the Early Cretaceous of Lebanon, Late Cretaceous of New Jersey (United States) and Alberta (Canada), Eocene of the eastern Baltic coast, and Miocene of the Dominican Republic, but predominantly from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar. Stem-group Lonchopteroidea are Alonchoptera lebanica, n. gen., n.sp., and Lonchopterites burmensis, n. sp. Platypezidae include the stem groups Burmapeza radicis, n. gen., n. sp., Canadopeza biacrosticha, n. gen., n. sp., and Calvopeza divergens, n. gen., n. sp. An unnamed Microsania sp. is the first definitive Platypezidae in Baltic amber; Lebanopeza azari, n. gen., n. sp., is a stem group to the Microsaniinae and Melanderomyiinae. Chandleromyia anomala, n. gen., n. sp., is an anomalously derived Platypezinae from the Cretaceous, and two new species of the diverse Recent genus Lindneromyia are in Dominican amber (L. neomedialis and L. dominicana). Fossils of the relict family Ironomyiidae (with 3 living species from eastern Australia) include two stem-group genera with two new species each, all in Burmese amber: Palaeopetia dorsalis and P. terminus, Proironia (n. gen.) gibbera and P. burmitica. All other species of Palaeopetia are compression fossils from the Cretaceous of Asia and Eurasia. For Phoridae, a new defining feature is a stridulatum on the procoxa and profemur in both sexes, occu[r]ring in most fossil taxa where observable. New sciadocerines include Eosciadocera pauciseta, n. sp., a very large species in Baltic amber, and two stem groups in Burmese amber, Prophora dimorion, n. gen., n. sp., and a very small, undescribed taxon. Archiphora pria Grimaldi and Cumming in Turonian-aged New Jersey amber is transferred to Hennigophora Brown, based on evidence from a new specimen. Prioriphorinae (not taxonomically treated here) is a paraphyletic, Cretaceous grade to the very diverse, crown-group radiation of Euphorida that occurred in the Cenozoic. Two syrphoids occur in Burmese amber: Prosyrphus thompsoni, n. gen., n. sp. (an apparent stem group to the Syrphidae), and Aschizomyia burmensis, n. gen., n. sp. (with more ambiguous affinities). Several immatures of undetermined family are reported, one a probable phorid larva. No definitive Schizophora are yet known from the Cretaceous

Specialized Myrmecophily at the Ecological Dawn of Modern Ants

Myrmecophiles—species that depend on ant societies—include some of the most morphologically and behaviorally specialized animals known [1]. Remarkable adaptive characters enable these creatures to bypass fortress-like security, integrate into colony life, and exploit abundant resources and protection inside ant nests [2, 3]. Such innovations must result from intimate coevolution with hosts, but a scarcity of definitive fossil myrmecophiles obscures when and how this lifestyle arose. Here, we report the earliest known morphologically specialized and apparently obligate myrmecophile, in Early Eocene (∼52 million years old) Cambay amber from India. Protoclaviger trichodens gen. et sp. nov. is a stem-group member of Clavigeritae, a speciose supertribe of pselaphine rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) heavily modified for myrmecophily via reduced mouthparts for trophallaxis with worker ants, brush-like trichomes that exude appeasement compounds, and fusions of many body and antennal segments [4, 5]. Protoclaviger captures a transitional stage in the evolutionary development of this novel body plan, most evident in its still-distinct abdominal tergites. The Cambay paleobiota marks one of the first occurrences in the fossil record of a significant presence of modern ants [6]. Protoclaviger reveals that sophisticated social parasites were nest intruders throughout, and probably before, the ascent of ants to ecological dominance, with ancient groups such as Clavigeritae primed to radiate as their hosts became increasingly ubiquitous

Kumar Krishna, in appreciation

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.pensoft.net.Not applicabl

Why Descriptive Science Still Matters

“Descriptive” in science is a pejorative, almost always preceded by “merely,” and typically applied to the array of classical -ologies and -omies: anatomy, archaeology, astronomy, embryology, morphology, paleontology, taxonomy, botany, cartography, stratigraphy, and the various disciplines of zoology, to name a few. But there is chronic misunderstanding as to what descriptive science actually is, and thus there is ignorance of its significance. This in turn imperils these disciplines and even the existence of fundamental knowledge in academia, as recent history teaches us

New mid-Cretaceous earwigs in amber from Myanmar (Dermaptera)

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from https://journals.ku.edu/index.php/paleoent/article/view/4676.Two new genera and species of mid-Cretaceous earwigs are described and figured from Burmese (Myanmar) amber. Zigrasolabis speciosa Engel & Grimaldi, new genus and species, is represented by a series of females in a single, large piece of amber. Toxolabis zigrasi Engel & Grimaldi, new genus and species, is based on a single male. Two first-instar nymphs in the same piece as T. zigrasi may represent early stadia for this species. In addition, two further morphospecies of isolated nymphs are recorded. Both of the described genera belong to the Neodermaptera (Zigrasolabis a labidurine, Toxolabis likely an anisolabidine) but can be excluded from the Eudermaptera clade, the latter of which likely originated and diversified in the Early Tertiary or latest Cretaceous

Whipspiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi) in amber from the Early Eocene and mid-Cretaceous, including maternal care

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from https://journals.ku.edu/index.php/paleoent/article/view/4765.Two new genera and species of fossil whipspiders (Chelicerata: Arachnida: Amblypygi) are described from Tertiary and Cretaceous ambers of southern Asia. Paracharonopsis cambayensis Engel & Grimaldi, new genus and species, preserved in Cambay amber of Ypresian age from western India is the first Tertiary and Asian fossil of the Paleoamblypygi, a highly relict taxon that includes the Late Carboniferous genus Graeophonus Scudder and the living West African species Paracharon caecus Hansen. Paracharonopsis cambayensis is one of the few examples in Cambay amber of a biotic connection to Africa; most taxa show widespread or Laurasian distributions. Kronocharon prendinii Engel & Grimaldi, new genus and species, is the first Cretaceous amber whipspider and putatively a sister group to the Phrynoidea (= Apulvillata). The holotype female of K. prendinii is preserved with the remains of three nymphs near her, documenting the Early Cretaceous presence of the extended maternal care so distinctive for the order, and a behavioral repertoire widespread among arachnids

Phylogeny and Geological History of the Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea)

The geological history of the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea is reviewed, with the description of various new taxa, being mostly in Late Cretaceous amber from New Jersey and Canada. The various fossil lineages are incorporated into a phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily, and their implications for understanding the evolution of the group are explored. The following new taxa or taxonomic changes are proposed (authorship of all taxa is Liu and Engel): Protimaspidae, new family; Stolamissidae, new family; Stolamissus, new genus; Stolamissus mirabilis, new species; Proliopterinae, new subfamily; Proliopteron, new genus; Proliopteron redactus, new species; Goeraniinae, new subfamily; Goerania, new genus; Goerania petiolata, new species; Micropresbyteria, new genus; Micropresbyteria caputipressa, new species; Anteucoila, new genus; Anteucoila delicia, new species; Jerseucoila, new genus; Jerseucoila plesiosoma, new species; Syneucoila, new genus; Syneucoila magnifica, new species; Tanaoknemus, new genus; Tanaoknemus ecarinatus, new species; Kinseycynips, new genus; Kinseycynips succinea (Kinsey), new combination. The extinct family Rasnicynipidae is newly transferred to Figitidae and classified as a basal subfamily therein (Rasnicynipinae, status novus). The Gerocynipidae, its type genus Gerocynips, and the type species upon which they are founded, Gerocynips zherichini, are found to be nomenclaturally unavailable. Gerocynips zherichini is regarded as a nomen nudum; the genus as newly validated is Gerocynips, new genus (with G. siberica Kovalev as type species); and the family as validated is Gerocynipidae, new family. The fossil records of Cynipoidea are summarized

Drosophilidae (Diptera)

139 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-128)."A phylogenetic system and classification of most genera and subgenera of the Drosophilidae are proposed that incorporate tribes, subtribes, infratribes, and genus groups. The new classification is based on a cladistic analysis using the computer parsimony program HENNIG86 and 217 adult morphological characters for a representative set of 120 species. A more complete matrix is provided, with 160 species in most genera and subgenera of the family. The history of drosophilid classification is reviewed, and the relevance of morphological (vs. molecular) data in phylogenetic reconstruction is briefly discussed. Position of the family in the superfamily Ephydroidea is examined and based on previously published data and new characters. The family Drosophilidae is the sister group to the Curtonotidae; this pair is the sister group to the rest of the Ephydroidea (Diastatidae, Campichoetidae, Camillidae, and Ephydridae). The Drosophilidae are monophyletic and diagnosed as possessing two basal costal wing vein breaks, a lateral seam in the pedicel, three pairs of frontal orbital setae (1 being proclinate, others reclinate), abdominal spiracle pairs VI + VII lying at base of tergite VI in males, sternite VI and tergite VII lost in males, small basal-medial wing cell lost (rederived in some taxa), and minute spines on the mesal surface of the fore femur lost. Each of the 217 characters is described and most are illustrated in detail; many are newly discovered, including features from the proboscis to the male and female terminalia. The traditional subfamily classification of the Steganinae and Drosophilinae is preserved, based on new, apomorphic evidence. An alternative classification to that of Okada (1989) is proposed, with 4 tribes, 6 subtribes, 2 infratribes, and 13 genus complexes/groups (informal categories), and all but 5 genera and subgenera are classified within these taxa. In addition, the Drosophila subgenera Hirtodrosophila, Lordiphosa, and Scaptodrosophila are each removed from that genus and elevated to generic rank. The Hawaiian drosophilids formerly placed in the subgenus Drosophila were found not to belong to this genus. Genus Idiomyia, new status, is used to include this large, obviously monophyletic group of Hawaiian endemic species, as well as the genera Ateledrosophila and Nudidrosophila. The closest relative of Idiomyia sensu lato appears to be the Zygothrica genus group (including Hirtodrosophila, Mycodrosophila, Paramycodrosophila, Paraliodrosophila, and Zygothrica). Scaptomyza, including the Hawaiian species in this genus, is monophyletic; Drosophila (Engiscaptomyza) is most closely related to Scaptomyza. The cladogram based on morphological data is compared to trees of Throckmorton, Okada, and several based on molecular data for a smaller set of drosophilid taxa. Inconsistencies between hypotheses are discussed. All higher-level generic group taxa and new genera are diagnosed"--P. 3

Central American, Caribbean, and Andean species.

55 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.Species in the Drosophila bromeliae group visit flowers, where most or all of the species probably breed. They are not collected in significant numbers. The group has thus far included five Neotropical species: aguape Val and Marques, 1996 (from southern Brazil), bromeliae Sturtevant, 1921 (Cuba), bromelioides Pavan and Cunha, 1947 (Brazil), florae Sturtevant, 1921 (type locality Cuba, also reported from the Caribbean and Central Ameria), and speciose Silva and Martins, 2004 (northern Brazil). Based on specimens from various museums, collections by the author, and detailed study of some types, the following revisions are made to the group: Drosophila florae is known only on the basis of the holotype female from Cuba, and bromeliae is widespread throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America; both species are redescribed in detail. Nine new species are described: Drosophila billheedi, n. sp. (from Trinidad); D. manni, n. sp. (Bolivia); D. mexiflora, n. sp. (Mexico, possibly Jamaica); D. paramanni, n. sp. (Costa Rica); D. penispina, n. sp. (Dominican Republic and Costa Rica); D. sevensteri, n. sp. (Panama); D. starki, n. sp. (Dominican Republic); D. stylipennis, n. sp. (Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico); and D. thurstoni, n. sp. (Jamaica). Four additional species are reported but not described since they are based just on females. Brazilian/Amazonian species will be treated separately. Intra- and interspecific geographic variation is documented in widespread species, the immature stages of Drosophila bromeliae are described in detail, and a key to species based on adult males is provided to facilitate identification of these very similar species