Insecta matsumurana. New series : journal of the Faculty of Agriculture Hokkaido University, series entomology.;New Series 77

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The earliest fossil record of the suborder Psocomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, with description of a new genus and species.

Yoshizawa, Kazunori;Yamamoto, Shuhei

Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/82942

Abstract

We describe a new psocid genus and species, Burmesopsocus lienhardi Yoshizawa, based on a fossil specimen embedded in mid-Cretaceous Burmese (Kachin) amber. Phylogenetic analysis based on the morphological data strongly suggest that the species is a member of the suborder Psocomorpha and may belong to the infraorder Homilopsocidea. However, its familial placement could not be determined. Therefore, this species is treated here as incertae sedis within Homilopsocidea without assigning it to any known family. This is the oldest fossil record of Psocomorpha and represents the first occurrence of the suborder from Kachin amber. The present discovery of a mid-Cretaceous homilopsocid species will contribute greatly to calibrating the time tree of Psocodea.

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