Three new serphitids (Microserphites libanensis sp. nov., Leptoserphites pabloi gen. et sp. nov. and Leptoserphites iriae gen. et sp. nov.) and a gallorommatid (Cretaceomma libanensis gen. et sp. nov.) from two different outcrops from the lower Barremian Lebanese amber are characterised, described, illustrated and their taxonomic positions are discussed. These serphitids and gallorommatid constitute the earliest records of these Cretaceous fossil families. Galloromma turolensis Ortega et al., 2011 is transferred to the genus Cretaceomma gen. nov.
The family Psychodidae Newman, 1834 comprises about 3,000 living species of small hairy nematoceran flies (Azar & Maksoud, 2022). To date, seven psychodid subfamilies are recognized within this family, namely Bruchomyiinae Alexander, 1921; extinct Datziinae Stebner, Solórzano Kraemer, Ibáñez-Bernal & Wagner, 2015; Horaiellinae Enderlein, 1937; Phlebotominae Rondani, 1840; Psychodinae Newman, 1834; Sycoracinae Rondani, 1856; and Trichomyiinae Tonnoir, 1922 (Azar & Maksoud, 2022). Some authors consider the psychodid group to consist of two families, i.e., Psychodidae and Phlebotomidae (Williams, 1993; Azar et al., 1999). This taxonomic treatment is based only on the hematophagous and medically important aspects of the phlebotomines. Nevertheless it is unfounded, because the phylogenetic relationships between the psychodid subfamilies remain unresolved, even if there is a possible sister-group relationship between the Phlebotominae and Psychodinae (Curler & Moulton, 2012). We consider that recognising phlebotomines as a separate family would necessitate also giving separate familial rank to all the currently recognised subfamilies, which is not adopted here.
Libanonemopalpus grimaldii gen. et sp. nov. is characterised, illustrated, and described from the lower Barremian amber of Bqaatouta (Lebanon). It represents the earliest record, the first and only Bruchomyiinae psychodid with functional piercing mouthparts. The discovery of this Cretaceous psychodid fly improves our knowledge of the palaeobiodiversity of Bruchomyiinae and particularly on the evolution of mouthparts in this group.
Aenigmaraphidophora mouniri gen. et sp. nov., an enigmatic representative of the ensiferan infraorder Tettigoniidea, is described and figured from the Lower Cretaceous of Lebanon, based on a nearly complete male specimen. The new fossil could fit in either in the stem group of the Rhaphidophoridae or in the Tettigoniidae. In either cases, the discovery is congruent with the current hypotheses on the dating of these families. We discuss on the consequence of the presence of an external fore tibial tympan in the new fossil, while absent in the extant Rhaphidophoridae.
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