New fossil tingids, representatives of the small subfamily Cantacaderinae (Tingidae) from the Oligocene Dominican amber, are described and discussed. The fossil species Eocader babyrussus n. sp. belongs to the recent neotropical genus Eocader of the tribe Phatnomini

Golub, V. B.

Popov, Y. A.

GOLUB, V.B.

POPOV, Y.A.

Revistes CientÃ­fiques de la Universitat de Barcelona

English

New cantacaderid lace bugs from Dominician amber (Heteroptera: Tingidae, Catacaderiane)

Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert

165
New cantacaderid lace bugs from Dominican amber
(Heteroptera: Tingidae , Cantacaderinae)
V.B. GOLUB(1) and Y.A. POPOV(2)
(1) Voronezh University, Universitetskaya pl., Voronezh, 394693, Russia.
(2) Paleontological Institute RAS, Profsoyuznaya str. 123, Moscow 117686, Russia. E-mail: elena@advizer.msk.ru
ACTA GEOLOGICA HISPANICA,v. 35 (2000),nº 1-2,p. 165-169
A B S T R ACT 
N ew fossil tingids, representatives of the small subfa m i ly Cantacaderinae (Tingidae) from the Oligocene Dominican amber, are describ-
ed and discussed. The fossil species Eocader bab y r u s s u s n. sp. belongs to the recent neotropical genus E o c a d e r of the tribe Phatnomini.
Key wo rd s : Heteroptera. Tingidae. Cantacaderinae. Phatnomini. Eocader bab y r u s s u s n.sp. Dominican amber.
I N T RO D U C T I O N
Fossil tingids are quite rare among other known fossil
bugs, especially they are ve ry few in Mesozoic heteropte-
ran faunas (Po p ov, 1989; Golub and Po p ov, 1998a; Golub
and Po p ov, 1999). Most fossil lace bugs described and
mentioned in publications from Cenozoic Dominican and
Baltic ambers mainly belong to the plesiomorphic subfa-
m i ly Cantacaderinae (especially in the Baltic amber) and
are represented almost ex c e p t i o n a l ly by the tribe Phatno-
mini (Golub and Po p ov, 1999). Some of them, e.g. S i n a l-
da baltica (DRAKE), as well as species of the genus Pa-
l e o c a d e r GOLUB AND POPOV 1998, are quite common. 
During the visit of one of the authors (Yu . P.) to the
Smithsonian Institution (Washington) and the A m e r i c a n
Museum of Natural History (New York) in 1994 and also
due to continuous eff o rts by Dr. W. Weitschat (Hambu rg
U n iversity) three ve ry fine collections of the Dominican
amber inclusions have been studied and the tingids from
them were sorted for determination and description.
N ew fossil species of the peculiar cantacaderid lace
bugs were preserved in amber from the Dominican Repub-
lic. This amber varies in age from Lower Miocene to Mid
Oligocene, i.e. 23-30 million years old (Grimaldi, 1995).
We support the conclusion made by Iturralde and MacPhee
(1996) that the age of Dominican amber in the Dominican
R e p u blic is most probably of the late Early Miocene - early
Middle Miocene (15 to 20 million years old). The present
paper deals with the first tingid description from Domini-
can amber (all amberiferous sites are unfort u n a t e ly un-
k n own) based on 4 specimens (2 males and 2 females) wh i l e
some other undescribed tingids from Dominican amber be-
long to the other subfa m i ly Tinginae and to the recent A m e-
rican genus G a rga p h i a (Golub and Po p ov, 1999).
S Y S T E M ATICS 
O rd e r : H e m i p t e r a
S u b o rd e r : H e t e r o p t e r a
I n f ra o rd e r : C i m i c o m o rpha 
166
Fa m i ly : Tingidae LAPORTE, 1832
S u b f a m i ly : Cantacaderinae STAL, 1873
Tr i b e : Phatnomini DRAKE AND DADIS, 1960
GENUS E o c a d e rDRAKE AND HAMBLETON 1934
Eocader baby r u s s u s GOLUB AND POPOV n.sp.
Figure 1
Type species: Eocader verg ra n d i s DRAKE A N D
H A M B L E TON 1934; recent species.
Type material: Holotype male (submacropterous
f o rm); label “Amber: Dominican Republic, Oligo-Mio-
cene, specific provenance unknown. Purched in Santo
Domingo by D.Grimaldi, AMNH DR-8-383.”; insect we l l
p r e s e rved (Fig. 1.1) and deposited in the American Mu-
seum Natural History, New Yo r k .
D e s c r i p t i o n : Holotype, male. Small, less than 2 mm
long. Body oblong, bare and general colour brown (pro-
b a bly originally ye l l ow - gr ay ) .
Head long, 1.7 times as long as wide (from clypeus tip
to hind margin of eyes) and 1.34 times as long as wide
(from clypeus top to anterior emarginate margin of prono-
tum). Surface of head fine punctate. Ve rt ex between eye s
and occiput depressed, considerably lower than convex
frons; this depression runs obl i q u e ly outside in form of
sulcus in front of each eye fusing backwards and Y- l i ke .
E yes convex, rising above head surface, directed upwa r d s
and to the side. Head with 5 denticles: unpaired cly p e a l
and paired frontal and jugal ones. All denticles located fa r
from eyes, especially clypeal and jugal once; clypeal den-
ticle conical with thick base, almost equal as wide as the
base of clypeus, directed obl i q u e ly upwards and forwa r d s
and covering (overlain from above) almost 2/3 length of
c lypeus; frontal denticles conical with thick base and
smoothed top, directed obl i q u e ly forwards, upwards and
to sides; jugal denticles ve ry short, rather thin and we a k ly
c u rve d, with sharp apex, located lower and in front of cly-
peal one, directly above upper edge of bucculae. A n t e n-
nae long and thin; 1-2 joints ve ry short, 2nd joint far from
reaching clypeal top; 3rd joint thinnest and longest. A n-
t e n n i f e rus tubercles ve ry small and almost equal in length
to 2nd joint. Bucculae anteriorly opened, hardly protru-
ding forward beyond apex of clypeus; anterior half with 2
horizontal rows of cells, posterior one has 1 row of cells.
Pronotum 1.54 times as wide as long; pronotal disc
c o nvex, with 3 longitudinal low carinae lateral ones of
them we a k ly protruding; median carina in its middle part
with 1-2 finest cells; median carina stretching from pos-
terior margin of calloused convex area to posterior marg i n
of pronotum. Pronotal disc densely punctuate (except cal-
loused small area); anterior margin distinctly emarg i n a t e ,
e l evated in form of rudimental vesicula with 1 transve r s a l
r ow of small cells. Paranotum in anterior part consid-
e r a bly widened, with 3 row of cells (3rd intermediate row
represented by a single cell only) narr owing backwa r d
and with 1 row of rather small cells along most part of
their length; ex t e rnal edges in anterior third emarg i n a t e ;
posterior margin of pronotum almost straight and slightly
wave d, without triangular projection. Scutellum comple-
t e ly ex p o s e d, trapezoidal form .
Submacropterous form. Hemelytra surpassing far be-
yond top of abdomen, sharp ly narr owed at base. Costal
area rather wide, practically along whole length with 2
r ows of moderately large cells, mainly quadrangular- p e n-
tagonal form. Subcostal area inclined (this area of right
h e m e lytron of holotype slightly flattened), with 4 rows of
cells along most length and with 4 transversal veins eleva-
ting more than other veins. Discoidal area in broadest pla-
ce with 4 rows of rounded, irr egular form cells, and with
2-3 transversal strongly elevated veins. Sutural area at the
ve ry base of hemelytra with one row of cells at the level of
anterior angle of discoidal area, slightly broadening and at
this place with a single cell of 2nd row; further backwa r d s
along discoidal area with 1 row of cells and near by apex
of widened sutural area 5 rows of cells; tips of sutural are-
as (membranae) of both hemelytra almost fully ove r l a p-
ping in repose. Clavus distinctly separated by sutura from
corium, in the broadest place with 4 oblique rows of cells;
exterior row is separated at the level of vein from others.
Hypocostal plate (lamina) with one row of cells.
Scent gland openings located by apex of anterior- ex-
terior angle of metapleurit, slightly elevated and broad-
ened at this place. Rostrum long, surpassing backwa r d s
anterior margin of fifth abdominal stern i t e .
Dimensions (in mm): Body length to the tip of hem-
e lytra 1.86, width 0.87; length of pronotum 0.37, width
0.57; length of head from clypeal tip to hind margin of eye s
0.34, to anterior margin of vesicula (along middle line)
0.39, width 0.29; width of ve rt ex 0.11; ratio of antenno-
meres I-IV as 0.05:0.045:0.64:0.16.
Va r i ab i l i t y : Judging by the preservation to diff e r e n t
d egrees of body parts of paratypes (1 male and 2 females)
c lypeal denticle may be shorter and overlap one third -
one half of the length of clypeus (Fig. 1.2), broadened
front parts of paranota can be only with two rows of cells,
167
at least females can be brachypterous (female paratype)
with fusing but not overlapping sutural areas of hemely-
tra along the whole of their length, and subcostal and dis-
coidal areas of hemelytra in their broadest part can be
with five rows of cells (at least in females). The length of
the third and fourth antennal joints in paratype of male
ranges corr e s p o n d i n g ly 0.65 and 0.14 mm. In female par-
atype with preserved antennae the length of the third and
f o u rth joints are corr e s p o n d i n g ly 0.53 and 0.16 mm; a
s i g n i ficant difference in the length of the third joint of an-
tennae in males and females of the same species is a reg-
ular phenomenon in fa m i ly Tingidae. Besides the above ,
frontal denticles of head can be more rounded and flat on
the top as it is shown in figure 1.2.
Figure 1. 1.- Habitus of Eocader babyrussus n. sp.; 2.- Drawing of the holotype, AMNH DR-8-383.
Type material: Paratype ? male; amber Dominican
R e p u blic; insect strongly damaged (Fig. 1.2) and deposi-
ted in the collection G. Herrling (NW Germ a ny ) ,
I nv. N r.DB W2. Paratype female; label “12533 - amber
Dominican Republic, C. Drake collection”; insect signifi-
c e n t ly damaged and deposited in the National Museum of
Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Paratype fema-
le; label “125445 - amber Dominican Republic, C. Drake
collection”; insect strongly damaged and deposited in the
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Insti-
t u t i o n .
E t y m o l ogy : The name of the species reflects a curious
similarity in the form of head with the quite fa m o u s
Oriental pig B abyrussa bab y r u s s a. 
DISCUSSION 
The absence of stenocostal area of hemelytra and the
presence of median clypeal protrusion are the features of
Phatnomini. The depression of ve rt ex between eyes with
its continuation in the form of two oblique gr o oves in
front of eyes (Y-shaped form) and hemelytron sharp ly
n a rr owing at the base - all these are the characteristic fe-
atures of the small Neotropical recent genus E o c a d e r
( D r a ke and Hambleton, 1934). Judging by the diagnosis
of genera in the excellent work of Richard C. Fr o e s c h n e r
(1996), these specific features of E o c a d e r are unique
among Phatnomini. The broadened front parts of parano-
tum and their emarginated exterior edges are the features
that bring together the fossil Eocader bab y r u s s u s n . s p .
with the type species of the genus E. verg ra n d i s D R A K E
AND HAMBLETON found in Brazil. 
The main difference between the Miocene species and
the modern E. verg ra n d i s is the absence in the latter of ju-
gal denticles. Besides, the frontal and clypeal denticles in
E. babyrussus n.sp. are located closer to the top of head
as compared to E. verg ra n d i s. In addition to well ex p r e s-
sed medial carina, the holotype and paratypes of the spe-
cies described here have ex t r e m e ly low lateral carinae on
pronotum. In brachypterous specimens of E. verg ra n d i s,
pronotum has one carina and emarginate hind margin, in
the macropterous ones - with three carinae and emarg i n a-
te hind margin (Fr o e s c h n e r, 1996). In the submacropte-
rous holotype E. bab y r u s s u s n.sp. pronotum has a we l l
ex p r e s s e d, although ve ry low, medial carina and slightly
rising lateral carinae, while the hind margin of pronotum
is practically straight. At least one of the paratypes of the
described species is a brachypterous female. Its pronotum
has also three carinae (lateral ones are ve ry low) and a
straight hind margin. The differences in the structure of
pronotum of E. verg ra n d i s and E. babyrussus n.sp. are
o n ly of a special character. In the same way, the presence
or absence of any pair of head denticles cannot serve as a
s u fficient ground for distinguishing this new species as an
independent genus. In the composition of the modern ge-
nera of Tingidae there are often species both with carinae
and without them, e.g. in Galeatus inermis the head’s ca-
rinae are absent altog e t h e r, while in other species of this
genus there are five long carinae.
Oligo-Miocene E. babyrussus n.sp. is very close to
the Eocene genus Intercader GOLUB AND POPOV
1998b, from Baltic amber. The only species of this genus
I. weitschati similar to E. babyrussus n.sp. has a depres-
sed vertex between eyes and five head denticles inclu-
ding the jugal one. The main differences between species
I.weitschati are the presence of f ive pronotal carinae and
the absence of a sharp narrowing of hemelytra at their
base. The paired short lateral carinae closely positioned
on each side of pronotum in Intercader can be looked
upon as a result of the break of initial carina and diver-
gence of its fragments in the process of evolution. In any
case the difference in the number of pronotal lateral ca-
rinae is far from being always considered in systematics
of Tingidae as generic difference, for instance in genus
Derephysia. The differences in the form of hemelytra ba-
se are probably more significant because of the unique-
ness of this feature in Miocene and modern species of
genus Eocader. However the depression of the vertex in
Eocader and Intercader is also a rare feature among Tin-
gidae, whose independent appearance in phylogenetic
groups seems to be less possible in comparison with re-
lated groups. The discovery of the modern genus Eoca-
der in Dominican amber and the closest fossil genus In-
tercader in Baltic amber, on the one hand, points to it
(Eocader) being rather old (beginning with Early Ceno-
zoic period) and, on the other hand, it can be compared
to the recent species of this genus. In the Tertiary period
there existed significantly closer zoogeographical links
between the faunas of Eurasia and South America, as
compared to the present time (Golub and Popov, 1998 a).
AC K N OW L E D G M E N T S
We are extremely grateful to Prof. Richard. C. Froeschner
(NMNH, Washington), Dr. David A. Grimaldi (AMNH, New
York) and Dr. Wolfgang Weitschat (GPIM, Hamburg) and Mes-
sers G. Herrling (Bramsche, NW-Germany). We are thankful to
the reviewers Dr. E. Guilbert and another anonimous one who
provided a critique of the manuscript and helped in preparing
168
the final text. We are also especially indebted to Olga Seliva-
nova (Voronezh University, Russia) for excellently fulfilled ori-
ginal figure 1.2.
REFERENCES 
D r a ke, C.J., Hambleton, E.J., 1934. Brazilian Tingidae (Hemip-
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Smithsonian Contrib.Zool., 574, 1-43.
Golub, V. B., Po p ov, Yu.A., 1998a. Cretaceous and Pa l e og e n i c
faunas of bugs of the superfa m i ly Tingoidea of the eastern
and we s t e rn Hemispheres, their relationships and evo l u t i o n .
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Golub, V.B , Po p ov, Yu.A., 1998b. Cantacaderid lace bugs from the
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Tingoidea (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha). Entomol. Prob-
lems (in press)
Grimaldi, D., 1995. On the age of Dominican amber. In: K.B.
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New cantacaderid lace bugs from Dominician amber (Heteroptera: Tingidae, Catacaderiane)

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New cantacaderid lace bugs from Dominician amber (Heteroptera: Tingidae, Catacaderiane)

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