New phlebotomine flies from Burmese amber (Diptera : Psychodidae : Phlebotominae)

Abstract

For long time the age of Burmese amber was debatable. Recently this material was finally dated as Late Albian-Early Cenomanian. We describe herein three new species of psychodid sandflies (Phlebotomites grimaldii,P. neli, andP. burmaticus) belonging to the extinct genusPhlebotomites, known to date only from the Early Cretaceous amber of Lebanon. These new taxa are characterized, described, illustrated and their taxonomic position is discussed. This discovery is very interesting for the understanding of the evolution of this group, as it allows concluding that this extinct genus of sand flies was widespread and well diversified in the past, and lasted at least for thirty million years.