A new green lacewing species of the extinct subfamily Limaiinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar

Zuluan Chen (1) , Corentin Jouault (2, 3, 4) , Hongyu Li (5) , Chunpeng Xu , André Nel (3) , Diying Huang (5) , Xingyue Liu (1)

1 CAU - China Agricultural University
2 GR - Géosciences Rennes
3 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité
4 UMR ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier
5 State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

Chrysopidae (green lacewings) is one of the species-rich families of Neuroptera. The Cretaceous fossils of green lacewing currently comprise 11 genera and 26 species. Here we describe a new green lacewing species, Mesypochrysa coadnata sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new species belongs to the extinct subfamily Limaiinae and is characterized by the RP with seven zigzagged branches, the forewing CuA with four pectinate branches, and the hind wing CuA with three pectinate branches. The exquisite preservation of the new fossils facilitates the understanding of the genital morphology of the Mesozoic green lacewings.

Keywords: Chrysopoidea; Limaiinae; Mesypochrysa; Mesozoic; Burmese amber

Domains: Paleontology

Zuluan Chen, Corentin Jouault, Hongyu Li, Chunpeng Xu, André Nel, et al.. A new green lacewing species of the extinct subfamily Limaiinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar. Cretaceous Research, 2022, 140, pp.105326. ⟨10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105326⟩. ⟨insu-03759320⟩