A new genus and species of ibis fly in the Lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France) (Diptera: Athericidae)

Abstract

A new athericid genus and species, Eoatrichops jeanbernardi, gen. n., sp. n., is described, based on four specimens from the Lowermost Eocene of Oise (France). Its external morphology is analyzed and compared with of all genera of Athericidae. Eoatrichops is very similar to the modern genus Atrichops Verrall, differences concern the wing venation and tibial spur formula.

Synchrotron-radiation computed tomography uncovers ecosystem functions of fly larvae in an Eocene forest

“…Athericidae is a small group of flies with merolimnic species, whose larvae are aquatic predators (Webb, 1977(Webb, , 1994. The fossil record of Athericidae is relatively rich, but no larvae of the group have so far been found (Mostowski et al, 2003;Zhang, 2012;Myskowiak and Nel, 2014;Nel et al, 2014;Oberprieler and Yeates, 2014). Four species of Athericidae have hitherto been described from fossil resins.…”

“…setifera Stuckenberg, 1974 were described from Baltic amber (Stuckenberg, 1974). Galloatherix incompletus Nel et al, 2014 was described from mid-Cretaceous French amber, while Eoatrichops jeanbernardi Myskowiak and Nel, 2014 is known from the Eocene Oise amber of France (Myskowiak and Nel, 2014). Additionally, Meunier described a fly from Baltic amber -Atherix exigua Meunier, 1910 -which he ascribed to Athericidae, but the status of this species remains uncertain.…”