Reliquantha variipes gen. & sp. nov., a peculiar new taxon of Anthomyzidae (Diptera) from Great Britain with uncertain relationships

Pages

793-814

Citation

ROHÁČEK, Jindřích. Reliquantha variipes gen. & sp. nov., a peculiar new taxon of Anthomyzidae (Diptera) from Great Britain with uncertain relationships. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae. Prague: National Museum, 2013, 53(2), 793-814. ISSN 0374-1036 (print) 1804-6487 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/aemnp/53-2/reliquantha-variipes-gen-sp-nov-a-peculiar-new-taxon-of-anthomyzidae-diptera-from-great-britain-with-uncertain-relationships

Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae | 2013/53/2

A new genus Reliquantha is established for R. variipes sp. nov., an enigmatic species of Anthomyzidae discovered in Great Britain (Wales, England). The new genus and species is distinguished by a very peculiar combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters including several unique structures previously unknown in Anthomyzidae. Although its relationships has not been resolved definitely, it is suggested by certain similarities to fossil Lacrimyza Roháček, 2013 from Baltic amber that it could be a remnant of an otherwise extinct Tertiary clade of the subfamily Anthomyzinae. The uniquely hirsute medandrium (= subepandrial sclerite) found in R. variipes sp. nov. is considered to be further evidence supporting the hypothesis that this structure is homologous with (fused) basal parts of the gonopods (= gonocoxites, basistyli).