Abstract
Alienopterixinae subfam. n. (with Alienopterix Mlynský et al. in Vršanský et al. (2018), Nadveruzenie gen. n., Vzrkadlenie Vršanský in Sendi et al. (2020) and Enervipraeala Luo, Xu et Jarzembowski, 2020) is proposed to house alienopterids with fully developed tegmina (symplesiomorphy with all Umenocoleidae) and a compact uniform pronotum (plesiomorphy). At least seven distinct morphological species in this complex are preserved in burmite. Alienopterix smidovae Hinkelman, sp. n./ Alienopterix mlynskyi Sendi, sp. n. possess autapomorphies, such as the absence of coloration and bunky organised in transverse rows, complex pronotum and red eye coloration respectively. Both species exhibit grooved forewing structure similar to unrelated Melyroidea Shelford, 1912 with metallic coloration. A male (unformalised) with short, symmetrical and multisegmented styli is identified for the first time. Bootstrap analysis of Umenocoleoidea now further diminishes differences between Umenocoleidae and Alienopteridae, revealia lack of structure and hierarchy in combined morphological data, while retaining structure when restricted to species from one locality. Nadveruzenie postava Vrsansky, Hinkelman et Sendi, gen. et sp. n. is described, autapomorphies include extremely thin cerci, fenestrate structure of forewings with structured fore margin and absent clavus, similar to living genus Aclavoidea Vidlička et Vršanský in Hinkelman et al. (2020). Diversity index within Umenocoleoidea (disregarding dominant Jantaropterix and Perspicuus pilosus Koubová in Koubová and Mlynský (2020) in burmite is near 1.0. Blattocoprolites alienopterixmlynskyi and Blattocoprolites jantaropterixellenbergeri Hinkelman, ichnospp. n., preserved and partially protruding coprolites, document defecation during burial.
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Acknowledgments
We thank anonymous reviewers; Sieghard Ellenberger and Patrick Muller (private persons, Germany; provided rare specimens); and Brian Metscher, University of Vienna Evolutionary Biology Department (provided microCT scans). We also thank Lucia Vršanská for acquiring a valuable sample. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contracts no. APVV-0436-12; VEGA 2/0139/17, 2/0042/18 and by UNESCO-Amba/ MVTS supporting grant of Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
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M.H., reconstructed specimens; J.H. performed main systematic research, photo and microstructure documentation, measurements and a drawing; H.S. provided sample, description and co-wrote the paper, P.V. designed research, photodocumented specimens and wrote paper. “The first version of this MS was submitted to the research journal (Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 23.06.2020 12:56 PM).”
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Vršanský, P., Sendi, H., Hinkelman, J. et al. Alienopterix Mlynský et al., 2018 complex in North Myanmar amber supports Umenocoleoidea/ae status. Biologia 76, 2207–2224 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00689-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00689-x