A new genus of Empididae (Diptera) with enlarged basal flagellomeres in Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Authors: POINAR, GEORGE - Oregon State University; Vega, Fernando

Submitted to: Historical Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2020
Publication Date: 3/12/2020
Citation: Poinar, G., Vega, F.E. 2020. A new genus of Empididae (Diptera) with enlarged basal flagellomeres in Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Historical Biology. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1743700.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1743700

Interpretive Summary: A new genus of “dance flies” (Empididae) is described from Burmese amber. Paleoscairomyia hadroceria represents an extinct lineage and adds to our knowledge of the morphological diversity that occurred in specific lineages of flies some 100 million years ago. This information will be of interest to entomologists specialized on flies.

Technical Abstract: A new genus and species of Empididae (Diptera) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as Paleoscairomyia hadroceria gen. et sp. nov. On the basis of the raptorial foreleg, the long front coxae located near the head and the fore femur somewhat thickened beneath, the male fossil would fall in the subfamily Hemerodromiinae. The arista of the antenna shorter than the basal flagellomere places the specimen in the tribe Hemerodromiini. One of the diagnostic features of the fossil is its enlarged basal flagellomere that may have been used as a sexual attractant. A spermatophore is adjacent to the specimen. Morphological features of the new genus add to our knowledge of the structure and development of mid-Cretaceous empidid flies.