Iotacyphinae Shcherbakov,, 2024

Shcherbakov, Dmitry E. & Shmakov, Alexei S., 2024, Another new species of Iotacyphinae (Lophioneuridae, Thysanoptera s. l.) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Russian Entomological Journal 33 (4), pp. 415-418 : 415-417

Subfamily Iotacyphinae Shcherbakov,

Bashkuev et Shmakov, 2024

COMPOSITION. Iotacypha Shcherbakov, Bashkuev et Shmakov, 2024 ; Burmacypha Zherikhin, 2000 ; Retiptera Cumming, Engel, Lian et Ulitzka, 2024; all from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

REMARKS. Tillyard [1935] assigned Lophioneuridae Tillyard, 1921 (= Cyphoneuridae Carpenter, 1932 ) along with Zoropsocidae to Psocoptera. Becker-Migdisova [1961] united these two families. Vishniakova [1981] retained Lophioneurinae and Zoropsocinae as subfamilies of Lophioneuridae , but our data confirm that there is no reason to keep this distinction even at the subfamily level [ Shcherbakov et al., 2024]. The three currently known iotacyphine genera have the same very distinctive habitus, but differ strikingly in their forewing venation.

How to cite this article: Shcherbakov D.E., Shmakov A.S. 2024. Another new species of Iotacyphinae ( Lophioneuridae , Thysanoptera s.l.) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber // Russian Entomol. J. Vol.33. No.4. P.415–418. doi: 10.15298/rusentj.33.4.01

Genus Iotacypha Shcherbakov, Bashkuev et Shmakov, 2024

TYPE SPECIES. Iotacypha zherikhini Shcherbakov, Bashkuev et Shmakov, 2024

REVISED DIAGNOSIS. Minute subbrachypterous lophioneurids. Forewings weakly elongated, strongly sclerotized, deeply convex; veins carinate, beset with strong curved setae; membrane finely areolate; Sc absent; RA long sigmoidal, leaving short R +M stem before separation of M (short RP+M stem developed); arculus (basal m-cu crossvein) between R +M and CuA; veins at wing apex Y-shaped (apical cell petiolate); discal cell bordered by 4 cells; clavus short and broad. Hind wing about half as wide as forewing, with long R +M+CuA stem, R and M separating distally; R, M and CuA subtransverse; anal area areolate. Antennae 7-segmented, at most 1/2 as long as forewing, scape and pedicel stout, flagellum moderately slen- der, with simple seta-like sense cones. Ocelli far apart, lateral ocelli close to eyes, median ocellus near clypeus. Pronotum short, saddle-shaped. Hind coxae enlarged. Tibiae with rows of setae. Tarsi 2-segmented; two slender curved claws. Genitalia very small.

COMPOSITION. Type species and Iotacypha vishniakovae sp.n.

REMARKS. Similar to Burmacypha Zherikhin, 2000 and Retiptera Cumming, Engel, Lian et Ulitzka, 2024 in convex areolate forewings and very simple hindwing venation, but in these two genera the veins at the forewing apex are H-shaped (the apical cell is not petiolate), the discal cell is bordered by 7 cells, and the antennae are at least 2/3 forewing length with a filiform flagellum. Additionally, Retiptera differs from Iotacypha in the forewing discal cell constricted about midlength and the hind wing 1/6 as wide as the forewing, and Burmacypha differs from Iotacypha in the forewing RA short transverse (rather than long sigmoidal) and the clavus much reduced.