New fossil biting midge from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Lebanon (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The oldest fossil biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Purbeck Limestone Group (Lower Cretaceous) of southern Great Britain

Polish Journal of Entomology / Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne ◽

10.2478/v10200-012-0041-8 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 82 (4) ◽

pp. 273-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Art Borkent ◽

Robert A. Coram ◽

Edmund A. Jarzembowski

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Great Britain ◽

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Southern England ◽

Biting Midge ◽

The Family

ABSTRACT The oldest fossil Ceratopogonidae, Archiaustroconops besti sp. n., dated at 142 million years old, is described from the Purbeck Limestone Group of Dorset, southern England, United Kingdom. Represented by a single wing, it belongs to a lineage within the family, indicating that the fossil subfamily Lebanoculicoidinae, the earliest lineage, may be expected in even earlier deposits. The wing, like those of all early fossil Ceratopogonidae is small, less than 1 mm in length.

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The Lower Cretaceous male ofLebanoculicoides daheri– belonging to the earliest lineage of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2019.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 151 (3) ◽

pp. 278-290

Author(s):

Art Borkent

Keyword(s):

Lower Cretaceous ◽

Sister Group ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Biting Midges ◽

Biting Midge ◽

Fossil Genus

AbstractRe-examination of the male biting midge ofLebanoculicoides daheriChoufani, Azar, and Nel (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), in 127 million-year-old Lebanese amber, revealed further features and details of morphological, phylogenetic, and bionomic importance. The phylogenetic position of the fossil genusLebanoculicoidesSzadziewski as the sister group of all remaining extant and extinct Ceratopogonidae is confirmed. A revised key to all four known species of this genus is provided. A permanently erect antennal plume is hypothesised as an additional synapomorphy ofAustroconopsWirth and Lee and two Cretaceous fossil genera,MinyoheleaBorkent andArchiaustroconopsSzadziewski. The presence of a hind tibial comb and more distal row of spines is considered a synapomorphy of all Culicomorpha other than Chironomidae, with some secondary losses within this group.

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