Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011:(148):293-332.
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.148.1809. Epub 2011 Nov 21.

Brachyceran Diptera (Insecta) in Cretaceous ambers, Part IV, Significant New Orthorrhaphous Taxa

David A Grimaldi  1 , Antonio Arillo, Jeffrey M Cumming, Martin Hauser
Affiliations

Brachyceran Diptera (Insecta) in Cretaceous ambers, Part IV, Significant New Orthorrhaphous Taxa

David A Grimaldi et al. Zookeys. 2011.

Abstract

Thirteen species of basal Brachycera (11 described as new) are reported, belonging to nine families and three infraorders. They are preserved in amber from the Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) of Lebanon, Albian of northern Spain, upper Albian to lower Cenomanian of northern Myanmar, and Late Cretaceous of New Jersey USA (Turonian) and Alberta, Canada (Campanian). Taxa are as follows, with significance as noted: In Stratiomyomorpha: Stratiomyidae (Cretaceogaster pygmaeus Teskey [2 new specimens in Canadian amber], Lysistrata emerita Grimaldi & Arillo, gen. et sp. n. [stem-group species of the family in Spanish amber]), and Xylomyidae (Cretoxyla azari Grimaldi & Cumming, gen. et sp. n. [in Lebanese amber], and an undescribed species from Spain). In Tabanomorpha: Tabanidae (Cratotabanus newjerseyensis Grimaldi, sp. n., in New Jersey amber). In Muscomorpha: Acroceridae (Schlingeromyia minuta Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. and Burmacyrtus rusmithi Grimaldi & Hauser gen. etsp. n., in Burmese amber, the only definitive species of the family from the Cretaceous); Mythicomyiidae (Microburmyia analvena Grimaldi & Cumming gen. et sp. n. and Microburmyia veanalvena Grimaldi & Cumming, sp. n., stem-group species of the family, both in Burmese amber); Apsilocephalidae or near (therevoid family-group) (Kumaromyia burmitica Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. [in Burmese amber]); Apystomyiidae (Hilarimorphites burmanica Grimaldi & Cumming, sp. n. [in Burmese amber], whose closest relatives are from the Late Jurassic of Kazachstan, the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey, and Recent of California). Lastly, two species belonging to families incertae sedis, both in Burmese amber: Tethepomyiidae (Tethepomyia zigrasi Grimaldi & Arillo sp. n., the aculeate oviscapt of which indicates this family was probably parasitoidal and related to Eremochaetidae); and unplaced to family is Myanmyia asteiformia Grimaldi, gen. et sp. n., a minute fly with highly reduced venation. These new taxa significantly expand the Mesozoic fossil record of rare and phylogenetically significant taxa of lower Brachycera.

Keywords: Lebanon; Myanmar; New Jersey; Spain; amber; flies; fossils.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
a, b Lysistrata emerita Grimaldi & Arillo, gen. et sp. n (Stratiomyidae) in Albian amber from Spain. Holotype, MCNA 12698 a lateral view b Antenna (scale bar 0.25 mm).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Cretoxyla azari Grimaldi & Cumming, gen. et sp. n. (Xylomyidae) in Early Cretaceous amber from Lebanon. Holotype, AZ391. Body length (as preserved) 3.6 mm.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
?Xylomyidae sp. in Albian amber from Spain. MCNA 8833.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Cratotabanus newjerseyensis Grimaldi, sp. n. (Tabanidae) in Turonian amber from New Jersey, USA. Above: Lateral view of holotype, AMNH 1862. (scale 1.0 mm). Below: Wing of paratype, AMNH NJ1081.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Schlingeromyia minuta Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. (Acroceridae) in latest Albian – early Cenomanian amber from Myanmar. Holotype, AMNH Bu332a. Body length 3.0 mm. Terminology for wing venation after Hennig (1954).
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Burmacyrtus rusmithi Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. (Acroceridae) in Burmese amber. Holotype AMNH Bu-RS1.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Microburmyia Grimaldi & Cumming, gen. n. (Bombyliidae: Mythicomyiinae), in Burmese amber a, b Microburmyia analvena Grimaldi and Cumming sp. n. Holotype, KU-Bu079 (a lateral view, with detail of antenna b dorsal view, as preserved) c – e Microburmyia venanalvena Grimaldi and Cumming, sp. n., Holotype AMNH Bu1552 c, d left and right wings, showing variation in vein proportions. e, antenna.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Kumaromyia burmitica Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. (Therevoid family group: ?Apsilocephalidae), in Burmese amber. Right lateral habitus of holotype AMNH Bu131, as preserved. Below: wing, partially reconstructed.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Hilarimorphites burmanica Grimaldi & Cumming, sp. n. (Apystomyiiidae) in Burmese amber, as preserved. Holotype, AMNH 098.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
Tethepomyia zigrasi Grimaldi & Arillo, sp. n. (Tethepomyiidae) in Burmese amber, also showing ventral detail of distal portion of abdomen. Private collection of James Zigras. sts: syntergosternite.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.
a-d Myanmyia asteiformia Grimaldi, gen. et sp. n. (unplaced to family), in Burmese amber (holotype, AMNH Bu1616) a Anteroventral detail of head b dorsal habitus, as preserved c pretarsus. d apex of abdomen, ventral view.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alonso J, Arillo A, Barrón E, Corral JC, Grimalt J, López JF, López R, Martínez-Delclòs X, Ortuño VM, Peñalver E, Trincão PR. (2000) A new fossil resin with biological inclusions in Lower Cretaceous deposits from Álava (Northern Spain, Basque-Cantabrian Basin). Journal of Paleontology 74 (1): 158-178.
    1. Chandler PJ. (2010) (Ed) A Dipterist’s Handbook, 2nd Edition. The Amateur Entomologist, vol. 15. The Amateur Entomologist’s Society, Kent UK: 525 pp. + 32 plates.
    1. Corral, JC, López Del Valle R, Alonso J. (1999) El ámbar cretácico de Álava (Cuenca Vasco Cantábrica, norte de España). Su colecta y preparación. Estudias Museo Ciencias de Naturales Álava 14: 7-21
    1. Cruickshank RD, Ko K. (2003) Geology of an amber locality in the Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 21: 441-455. 10.1016/S1367-9120(02)00044-5 - DOI
    1. Cumming JM, Wood DM. (2009) Adult morphology and terminology. In: Brown BV et al. (Eds) Manual of Central American Diptera, vol. 1.Ottawa: NRC Research Press, 9–50.

LinkOut - more resources