Thaumatomerope sinensis Lian & Huang 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lian, Xin-Neng
name: Cai, Chen-Yang
name: Feng, Zhuo
name: Huang, Di-Ying
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mecoptera
Thaumatomeropidae
Thaumatomerope
Thaumatomerope sinensis

description: Thaumatomerope sinensis Lian & Huang, sp. nov.
Fig. 1
Material. Holotype, NIGP203509; hindwing or forewing unknown, parts of wing base, wing anterior and apex missing. Length 8.0 mm, width 3.0 mm.
Etymology. Name after sina, which means China.
Diagnosis. Sc with 6 branches, Rs with only 6 branches, the posterior last branch of Rs single, the anterior first branch of M multi-branched, M with 13 or 14 branches.
Type locality and horizon. A locality near the Hejiafang Village, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, Northwest China; the Chang 7 Member of the Yanchang Formation; late Middle Triassic (Ladinian).
Description. A relatively broad wing, wing base petiole-like, venation stronger near wing base; many crossveins blurry, which may not be able to identify; Sc with 6 comb-like branches, several crossveins intercepted between Sc branches, crossveins denser near base; humeral vein strong and distinct; R 1 curved, apex with one extra small anterior branch, possible more veins in the area that not preserved; pterostigma present, but only preserved the apical part, with darker color; Rs comb-like, with 6 branches, several crossveins detected; M with 13 confirmed dichotomous branches, the first main branch of M subdivided into 5 branches; the second main branch of M subdivided into 8 branches, some forks small; some crossveins connecting branches of M; CuA (or last branched of M) single, apex curved, fused with M stem near wing base, with 3 crossveins connecting M; CuP (or CuA) single, base missed.
Remarks. The new species, Thaumatomerope sinensis Lian & Huang, sp. nov., generally differs from Th. sogdiana Rasnitsyn, 1974 by its smaller wing size (wing 8.0 mm long vs. ≥ 9.0 mm), reduced Rs branches (6 branches vs. 10–14 branches), posterior last branch of Rs single instead of multi-branched, and anterior first branch of M multi-branched instead of 2 branches or single; differs from Th. minuta Rasnitsyn, 1974 by its larger wing size (wing 8 mm long vs. 5.5 mm), more complicated Sc (6 branches vs. 4 branches), reduced Rs branches (6 branches vs. 9 branches), posterior last branch of Rs single instead of multi-branched, and anterior first branch of M multi-branched instead of 2 branches or single; differs from Th. madygenica Rasnitsyn, 1974 by its smaller wing size (wing 8.0 mm long vs. ≥ 11.5 mm), reduced Rs branches (6 branches vs. 14–18 branches), and posterior last branch of Rs single instead of multi-branched; differs from Th. oligoneura Rasnitsyn, 1974 by its broader wing, smaller wing size (wing 8.0 mm long vs. ≥ 13.0 mm), posterior last branch of Rs single instead of multi-branched, and anterior first branch of M multi-branched instead of 2 branches or single.
description: Published as part of Lian, Xin-Neng, Cai, Chen-Yang, Feng, Zhuo & Huang, Di-Ying, 2023, The first species of Thaumatomeropidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Middle Triassic of China, pp. 16-21 in Zootaxa 5396 (1) on pages 17-19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/10441779