Elephantomyia brevipalpa

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Elephantomyia brevipalpa
Temporal range: Middle Eocene
Elephantomyia brevipalpa specimen MP3323.jpg
E. (E.) brevipalpa female
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Limoniidae
Genus: Elephantomyia
Species:
†E. brevipalpa
Binomial name
†Elephantomyia brevipalpa
(Loew, 1850)
Synonyms
  • Toxorhina brevipalpa
  • Limnobiorhynchus brevipalpa

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) brevipalpa is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene [1] Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six described from Baltic amber. [1] [2]

Contents

History and classification

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) brevipalpa is known from the holotype specimen, collection number MB.J.337, along with two further adults which are preserved as inclusions in transparent Baltic amber. As of 2015, two of the amber specimens were included in the collections of the University of Göttingen, while the third was housed at the Polish Academy of Sciences. [2] Baltic amber is recovered from fossil bearing rocks in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. Estimates of the age date between 37 million years old, for the youngest sediments and 48 million years old. This age range straddles the middle Eocene, ranging from near the beginning of the Lutetian to the beginning of the Pribonian. E. brevipalpa is one of six crane fly species in the genus Elephantomyia described from the Baltic amber, the others being E. baltica , E. bozenae , E. irinae , E. longirostris , and E. pulchella . [2] All six species are placed into the Elephantomyia subgenus Elephantomyia based on the lack of tibial spurs and by several aspects of the wing morphology.

The fossil was first studied by entomologist Hermann Loew of the Germany, with his type description of the new species being published in 1851 as Toxorhina brevipalpa , though he published the nomen nudum name a year earlier. The species was moved to the genus Limnobiorhynchus in 1860 by Carl Robert Osten-Sacken, and later moved by Osten-Sacken again, this time to the genus Elephantomyia. The fossil was reexamined and the species redescribed in 2015 by paleoentomologist Iwona Kania of the University of Rzeszów, who examined the holotype and the two additional specimens. [2]

Description

The E. brevipalpa type specimen and one of the additional specimens are preserved males, while the third specimen is a female that is approximately 5.1 mm (0.20 in) long, not including the rostrum. The head has a rostrum that is 2.86 mm (0.113 in) long, as half the length of the fore-wing and the abdomen. The rostrum has notably short palpus at the tip. [2] Each palpus is composed of four segments, totaling less than half the length of the glossal lobes on the rostrum. The third segment is an elongate cylinders while the fourth is very short. The antennae are small, composed of an elongated scape and widened pedicle. As the flagellomeres progress from the base to the tip of the antennae they change from squat and crowded together to elongated. The basal flagellomeres have no setae, while three setae are found on flagellomeres 6 and 7. Flagellomeres 8 through 11 have two elongated setae, and the apical flagellomere has four very elongate setae. The wings are 4.68 mm (0.184 in) long with a pale brown pterostigma that is oval in shape and further towards the wing base then in other Baltic amber species. The Rs vein, as designated by the Comstock–Needham system, is as about one third the length of the connected R2+3+4 vein. [2]

Related Research Articles

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1860.

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1851.

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1850.

<i>Elephantomyia</i> Genus of flies

Elephantomyia is a genus of crane fly in the family Limoniidae.

<i>Alavaraphidia</i> Genus of insects

Alavaraphidia is an extinct genus of snakefly in the family Mesoraphidiidae. The genus is solely known from an Early Cretaceous, Albian age, fossil amber found in Spain. Currently, the genus comprises a single species, Alavaraphidia imperterrita.

<i>Arostropsis</i> Genus of beetles

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<i>Nanotermes</i>

Nanotermes is an extinct genus of termites in the Isoptera family Termitidae known from only one Eocene fossil found in amber of the Cambay Basin. The genus contains a single described species, Nanotermes isaacae placed tentatively in the subfamily Termitinae.

<i>Electrostephanus</i>

Electrostephanus is an extinct genus of crown wasp in the hymenopteran family Stephanidae, and is the only genus placed in the subfamily Electrostephaninae. The genus contains four described species, E. brevicornis, E. neovenatus, E. janzeni, and E. petiolatus, placed in two subgenera E. (Electrostephanus) and E. (Electrostephanodes). Electrostephanus is known from several middle Eocene fossils which have been found in Europe.

<i>Metanephrocerus</i> Extinct genus of flies

Metanephrocerus is an extinct genus of big-headed flies in the dipteran subfamily Protonephrocerinae, for which it is one of only two genera. The genus contains four described species, Metanephrocerus belgardeae, M. collini, M. groehni, and M. hoffeinsorum. Metanephrocerus is known from a group of Middle Eocene fossils which were found in Europe and a single early Eocene fossil from North America.

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Xylolaemus sakhnovi is an extinct species of cylindrical bark beetle in the family Zopheridae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The genus Xylolaemus contains a total of six extant species distributed from western Europe through the Canary Islands and North Africa to India. The species is the first in the genus to be described from a fossil specimen.

<i>Elephantomyia baltica</i> Extinct species of fly

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) baltica is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six described from Baltic amber.

<i>Elephantomyia bozenae</i> Extinct species of fly

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) bozenae is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six described from Baltic amber.

<i>Elephantomyia irinae</i> Extinct species of fly

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) irinae is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six described from Baltic amber.

<i>Elephantomyia longirostris</i> Extinct species of fly

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) longirostris is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six in its genus described from Baltic amber.

<i>Elephantomyia pulchella</i> Extinct species of fly

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) pulchella is an extinct species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae. The species is solely known from the Middle Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The species is one of six described from Baltic amber.

<i>Gerontoformica</i> Extinct genus of ants

Gerontoformica is an extinct genus of stem-group ants. The genus contains thirteen described species known from Late Cretaceous fossils found in Asia and Europe. The species were described between 2004 and 2016, with a number of the species formerly being placed into the junior synonym genus Sphecomyrmodes.

<i>Camelomecia</i> Extinct genus of ants

Camelomecia is an extinct genus of stem-group ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Camelomecia janovitzi, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

Prosisyrina is an extinct genus of lacewing in the neuropteran family Sisyridae. The genus contains two described species, Prosisyrina sphinga and Prosisyrina sukachevae. Prosisyrina is known from a group of Late Cretaceous fossils which were found in Asia.

<i>Bradoponera</i> Extinct genus of ants

Bradoponera is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Proceratiinae, and is one of four genera of the subfamily. The genus contains four described species Bradoponera electrina, Bradoponera meieri, Bradoponera similis, and Bradoponera wunderlichi. The species are known from several Middle Eocene amber fossils which were found in Europe.

References

  1. 1 2 Heinrichs, J; Schmidt, AR; Schäfer-Verwimp, A; Gröhn, C; Renner, MAM (2015). "The leafy liverwort Notoscyphus balticus sp. nov. (Jungermanniales) in Eocene Baltic amber". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 217: 39–44. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2015.02.006.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kania, I (2015). "Subfamily Limoniinae Speiser, 1909 (Diptera, Limoniidae) from Baltic Amber (Eocene): The Genus Elephantomyia Osten Sacken, 1860". PLoS ONE. 10 (2): 1–25. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117434. PMC   4338262 . PMID   25706127.
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