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The oldest fossil record of Philopotinae (Diptera: Acroceridae) from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Northern Myanmar

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: A new genus and species of Acroceridae Leach, 1815, Burmophilopota wintertoni gen. et sp. nov., is identified from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, representing the oldest member of Philopotinae Schiner 1868. Based on morphological comparisons, Burmophilopota wintertoni gen. et sp. nov. most likely represents a stem group of the Philopotinae. The new material with well-preserved details of mouthparts and complete wing venation suggests that the new species could possibly be a pollinator for the angiosperms. This finding enhances our understanding of early origin and evolution of pollinating flies during the Mesozoic period.

Source: Zootaxa

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5497.3.8

Authors: QI FENG, JIALIANG ZHUANG, CHUNGKUN SHIH, DONG REN, YONGJIE WANG

Institutions: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Capital Normal University, Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology

Language: English

Topic: Fossil Insects in Amber

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W4401861997

FWCI: 0.38

Cites: 29

Cited by: 1

Related to: 10