The Oldest Evolutionary Lineage of Trichoneura Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Limoniidae) and the First Evidence of This Genus in Cretaceous Spanish Amber

Abstract

A new subgenus Cretalinea subgen. nov. of Trichoneura (Diptera, Limoniidae) is established with one new species: Trichoneura (Cretalinea) xavieri subgen. et sp. nov. This is the first report of the genus Trichoneura in Spanish amber and the first record of the genus from the Lower Cretaceous period. The oldest described species of Trichoneura is compared with other species of the genus with particular reference to those known species from the Upper Cretaceous. A list and key of fossil species of Trichoneura are given.