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Protoxenidae fam. nov. (Insecta, Strepsiptera) from Baltic amber — a ‘missing link’ in strepsipteran phylogeny
Author(s) -
Pohl Hans,
Beutel Rolf G.,
Kinzelbach Ragnar
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00173.x
Subject(s) - biology , galea , sister group , paraphyly , zoology , taxonomy (biology) , cladistics , taxon , baltic amber , genus , evolutionary biology , phylogenetics , anatomy , paleontology , clade , gene , biochemistry
A male specimen of a new strepsipteran genus and species ( Protoxenos janzeni gen. et sp. nov.) and family (Protoxenidae fam. nov.) found in Baltic amber is described and illustrated. It shows features which are apparently more plesiomorphic than in hitherto known strepsipterans, such as laterally inserted eight‐segmented antennae, very robust mandibles with a broad base, a prominent galea, a comparatively short, transverse metapostnotum, hindwings that are feebly extended in a rostrocaudal direction, and equally sclerotized abdominal tergites and sternites. Based on a cladistic analysis of 46 characters of males of 11 genera and three outgroup taxa, P. janzeni is the sister group of all other known strepsipterans, and Mengea the sister group of Strepsiptera s.s . Eoxenos is the sister group of the remaining extant strepsipterans and Mengenillidae is therefore paraphyletic. Newly established groundplan features of Strepsiptera will facilitate the clarification of the systematic position of the Order in future studies.