Principiala

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Principiala
Temporal range: Barremian - Late Aptian
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera
Family: Ithonidae
Genus: Principiala
Makarkin & Menon, 2007
Species
  • P. incerta
  • P. rudgwickensis

Principiala is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is known from Cretaceous fossils found in South America, Europe, and possibly Asia. The genus is composed of two species, the type species Principiala incerta, and Principiala rudgwickensis. [1] [2]

Contents

History and classification

Principiala is known only from three fossils assigned to the two species and an additional fossil tentatively assigned to the genus. [3] [4] [5] The holotype adult of P. incerta, specimen number SMNK PAL 5352 is housed in the collections of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, while the partial paratype adult, specimen number SMNS 66000/255, is part of the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe, Germany. [3] The specimens are preserved as compression fossils in finely laminated siltstones, which were recovered from outcrops of the Nova Olinda Member of the Late Aptian Crato Formation in Northeastern Brazil. [3] P. rudgwickensis was described from a single part and counterpart holotype, "BMB 025005, -6" that is part of the Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton and Hove, England. The species is older than P. incerta, having been recovered from Rudgwick Brickworks which mined sediments of the Barremian Upper Weald Clay Formation. [4] A single wing has been recovered from the Yixian Formation in China which was noted as probably belonging to the genus by Makarkin et al in 2012. [5]

The Brazilian fossils were first studied by the paleoentomologists Vladimir N. Makarkin of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Federica Menon from the University of Manchester in England. Their 2007 type description of the new genus and species was published in the journal Cretaceous Research . The genus name Principiala was coined by the researchers as a combination of "Principi", in honor of Italian entomologist Maria Principi and the Latin word ala meaning "wing". [3] The specific epithet "incerta" is derived from the Latin incertus, in reference to the uncertain relationship of the genus within Ithonidae. [3]

Two years later a group of researchers led by paleoentomologist James Jepson described the second species P. rudgwickensis. The team chose the species name "rudgwickensis" as a reference to the Rudgwick Brickworks where the fossil was found. [4]

Overall the vein structure of Principiala is most similar to the genus Allorapisma , known from Ypresian fossils found in the northwestern United States. [2] The wings of both genera show the apical end of the Rs vein fused to the MA vein. Both have similar positioning and shaping of the MP vein and the CuA vein running parallel to the MP vein. As such, Makarkin and Archibald suggested the two be grouped in an informal suprageneric group called the Principiala group. This group is one of three possibly monophyletic groups in Ithonidae, the others two being the Ithone group and the Rapisma group. [2]

Description

The genus is identified by the short length of the antennae. Being approximately 2–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long, they are the shortest of the described neuropterans, with Rapisma having the shortest of the extant genera. The costal region of the fore-wing shows a regular series of cross-veins which gives the appearance of a longitudinal vein in the base area of the region. In contrast to the cross-veins of the costal area, the cross-veins in the subcostal area of the fore-wing are there are irregularly spaced and uneven. The area between the radius and median veins is notably narrow near the fore-wing base, and narrows towards the wing tip until the two veins merge. As with many Ithonidea genera, the head is pulled most of the way under the pronotal shield. [3] P. incerta and P. rudgwickensis are distinguished by the characters of the species fore-wings, with an approximate length of 19 mm (0.75 in) for the former and only an estimated 11–12 mm (0.43–0.47 in) in the latter. In addition the last branch of the Rs vein in P. rudgwickensis is distinctly longer than that seen in P. incerta before the branches merge with the Median vein. P. rudgwickensis also shows a number of crossveins between the Rs branches of the Radial vein and the tip sections of the Rs branches are straight, both features absent or not preserved in P. incerta. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuroptera</span> Order of insects

The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) in the unranked taxon Neuropterida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemerobiidae</span> Family of insects

Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green. They are small; most have forewings 4–10 mm long. These insects differ from the somewhat similar Chrysopidae not only by the usual coloring but also by the wing venation: hemerobiids differ from chrysopids in having numerous long veins and forked costal cross veins. Some genera are widespread, but most are restricted to a single biogeographical realm. Some species have reduced wings to the degree that they are flightless. Imagines (adults) of subfamily Drepanepteryginae mimic dead leaves. Hemerobiid larvae are usually less hairy than chrysopid larvae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychopsidae</span> Family of insects

Psychopsidae is a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are commonly called silky lacewings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisyridae</span> Family of insects

Sisyridae, commonly known as spongeflies or spongillaflies, are a family of winged insects in the order Neuroptera. There are approximately 60 living species described, and several extinct species identified from the fossil record.

Microberotha is an extinct monotypic genus of "beaded lacewing" in the family Berothidae known from a fossil found in North America. When described the genus contained a single Ypresian-age species Microberotha macculloughi.

<i>Allorapisma</i> Extinct genus of lacewings

Allorapisma is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is solely known from two Eocene fossils found in North America. At the time of description the genus was composed of a single species, Allorapisma chuorum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ithonidae</span> Family of insects

Ithonidae, commonly called moth lacewings and giant lacewings, is a small family of winged insects of the insect order Neuroptera. The family contains a total of ten living genera, and over a dozen extinct genera described from fossils. The modern Ithonids have a notably disjunct distribution, while the extinct genera had a more global range. The family is considered one of the most primitive living neuropteran families. The family has been expanded twice, first to include the genus Rapisma, formerly placed in the monotypic family Rapismatidae, and then in 2010 to include the genera that had been placed into the family Polystoechotidae. Both Rapismatidae and Polystoechotidae have been shown to nest into Ithonidae sensu lato. The larvae of ithonids are grub-like, subterranean and likely phytophagous.

<i>Undulopsychopsis</i> Extinct genus of insects

Undulopsychopsis is an extinct genus of lacewing in the silky lacewing family Psychopsidae. The genus is solely known from a Cretaceous fossil found in China. Currently the genus is composed of a single species, Undulopsychopsis alexi.

<i>Ainigmapsychops</i> Extinct genus of lacewings

Ainigmapsychops is an extinct genus of lacewing in the silky lacewing family Psychopsidae. The genus is solely known from an Eocene fossil found in North America. At the time of its description the new genus was composed of a single species, Ainigmapsychops inexspectatus.

<i>Elektrithone</i> Extinct genus of insects

Elektrithone is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is solely known from an Eocene fossil forewing found in Europe. At the times of description the genus was composed of a single species, Elektrithone expectata.

Cretomerobius is an extinct genus of lacewings in the neuropteran family Hemerobiidae known from fossils found in Asia. The genus currently contains a single species, the Aptian C. disjunctus.

<i>Makarkinia</i> Extinct genus of insects

Makarkinia is an extinct genus of lacewings in the family Kalligrammatidae described by Martins-Neto in 1997 from fossils found in the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin in northeastern Brazil. The genus contains three species dating to the Late Aptian, Makarkinia adamsi, Makarkinia kerneri and Makarkinia irmae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalligrammatidae</span> Extinct family of insects

Kalligrammatidae, sometimes known as kalligrammatids or kalligrammatid lacewings, is a family of extinct insects in the order Neuroptera (lacewings) that contains twenty genera and a number of species. The family lived from the Middle Jurassic to the early Late Cretaceous before going extinct. Species of the family are known from Europe, Asia, and South America. The family has been occasionally described as "butterflies of the Jurassic" based on their resemblance to modern butterflies in morphology and ecological niche.

Araripenymphes is an extinct genus of lacewing in the family Nymphidae known from fossils found in the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin in South America. The genus contains a single species, Araripenymphes seldeni. The genus was named after the basin.

Rafaelnymphes is an extinct genus of lacewing in the family Nymphidae known from a fossil found in South America. The genus contains a single species, Rafaelnymphes cratoensis.

Burmaleon is an extinct genus of lacewing in the family Osmylidae known from fossils found in Asia. The genus contains a single species, Burmaleon magnificus.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babinskaiidae</span> Extinct family of insects

Babinskaiidae is an extinct family of neuropterans known from the Cretaceous period. They are part of the superfamily Myrmeleontoidea. Their distinguishing characters include: "long filiform antennae, narrowly elongated wings, with features such as trichosors, and presectorial cross veins present in both wings, and absence of forewing oblique vein". They are considered transitional between Nymphidae and more derived myrmeleontodoids, such as antlions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipteromantispidae</span> Extinct family of insects

Dipteromantispidae is an extinct family of neuropterans known from the Cretaceous period. Unlike other neuropterans, the family possesses only a single set of fully developed forewings, with the hindwings reduced to haltere-like structures. They are generally small in size and possess raptorial forelegs. They are considered to belong to Mantispoidea, with an uncertain position within the clade. Some authors have suggested that they represent a subgroup of Mantispidae, and should instead be referred to as the subfamily Dipteromantispinae within that family.

<i>Polystoechotites</i> Extinct genus of lacewings

Polystoechotites is an extinct parataxon of lacewings in the moth lacewing family Ithonidae. The taxon is a collective group for fossil polystechotid giant lacewing species whose genus affiliation is uncertain, but which are distinct enough to identify as segregate species. Polystoechotites species are known from Eocene fossils found in North America and is composed of four named species Polystoechotites barksdalae, Polystoechotites falcatus, Polystoechotites lewisi, and Polystoechotites piperatus, plus two unnamed species. Three of the described species are known from fossils recovered from the Eocene Okanagan Highlands of Washington State, while the fourth is from Colorado.

References

  1. Makarkin, VN; Wedmann, S; Weiterschan, T (2014). "First record of the family Ithonidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber". Zootaxa. 3796 (2): 385–393. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.10. PMID   24870683.
  2. 1 2 3 Makarkin, VN; Archibald, SB (2009). "A new genus and first Cenozoic fossil record of moth lacewings (Neuroptera: Ithonidae) from the Early Eocene of North America" (PDF). Zootaxa . 2063: 55–63. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2063.1.3. S2CID   13922025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Makarkin, VN; Menon, F (2007). "First record of fossil 'rapismatid-like' Ithonidae (Insecta, Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil". Cretaceous Research. 28 (5): 743–753. Bibcode:2007CrRes..28..743M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2006.11.003.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jepson, JE; Makarkin, VN; Jarzembowski, E (2009). "New lacewings (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Wealden supergroup of Southern England". Cretaceous Research. 30 (5): 1325–1338. Bibcode:2009CrRes..30.1325J. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2009.07.012.
  5. 1 2 Makarkin, VN; Yang, Q; Peng, Y; Ren, D (2012). "A comparative overview of the neuropteran assemblage of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (China), with description of a new genus of Psychopsidae (Insecta: Neuroptera)". Cretaceous Research. 35: 57–68. Bibcode:2012CrRes..35...57M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.11.013.