A new Acartophthalmites Hennig from Eocene Baltic amber (Diptera, Acalyptratae)

By

Pérez-de la Fuente, Ricardo
Hoffeins, Christel
Roháček, Jindřich

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

737

Pages

125-139

Subjects

fossil , new species , Opomyzoidea , taxonomy , true flies

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.737.20639

 

Abstract

A new fossil fly species, Acartophthalmites willii sp. n. (Diptera: Acalyptratae: Opomyzoidea) from Baltic amber (Eocene, 56−33.9 Ma), is described based on a male originally assigned by Hennig (1969) to A. tertiaria Hennig, 1965, who erroneously also referred to it in the same work as “A. electrica Hennig” (unavailable name). The new species, representing the third named species of the extinct genus with unclear familial relationships Acartophthalmites Hennig, 1965, is herein described and illustrated in detail, and its systematic implications and relationships are discussed. From the morphological standpoint, the new species represents an intermediate form between the two formerly described species within the genus, therefore expanding the character combination diversity in this lineage of acalyptrate flies. The genus Acartophthalmites is considered to be most closely related to Clusiidae and, therefore, it is herein tentatively classified within the superfamily Opomyzoidea. The current work takes part of an effort to review the Acartophthalmites diversity in order to gain knowledge on the morphological data from the specimens described within the genus and ultimately enable a reliable analysis of its phylogenetic relationships with other acalyptrates.