A new genus of dance fly (Diptera: Empidoidea: Hybotidae) from Cretaceous Spanish ambers and introduction to the fossiliferous amber outcrop of La Hoya (Castellón Province, Spain)

PeerJ. 2023 Jan 13:11:e14692. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14692. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Hybotidae fly species, also known as dance flies, in Cretaceous ambers have been described from Lebanon, France, Myanmar, Russia, and Canada. Here we describe Grimaldipeza coelica gen. et sp. n., and recognize another two un-named species, in Spanish amber from the middle Albian El Soplao and lower Cenomanian La Hoya outcrops. The fore tibial gland is present in the new genus, which is characteristic of the family Hybotidae. We compare Grimaldipeza coelica gen. et sp. n. with the holotypes of Trichinites cretaceus Hennig, 1970 and Ecommocydromia difficilis Schlüter, 1978, and clarify some morphological details present in the latter two species. Further taxonomic placement beyond family of the here described new genus was not possible and remains incertae sedis within Hybotidae until extant subfamilies are better defined. We provide new paleoecological data of the hybotids, together with paleogeographical and life paleoenvironmental notes. A table with the known Cretaceous Hybotidae is provided. Furthermore, the La Hoya amber-bearing outcrop is described in detail, filling the information gap for this deposit.

Keywords: Amber; Amber-bearing outcrop; Ecommocydromia; New genus; New species; Trichinites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amber
  • Animals
  • Apocynaceae*
  • Diptera* / anatomy & histology
  • Fossils
  • France
  • Spain

Substances

  • Amber

Grants and funding

This study is a contribution to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Universities (project AEI/FEDER, UE CGL2017-84419). This work was supported by the Consejería de Industria, Turismo, Innovación, Transporte y Comercio of the Gobierno de Cantabria through the public enterprise EL SOPLAO S.L. (research agreement #20963 with University of Barcelona, for the period 2022–2025). Sergio Álvarez-Parra was also supported by the Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain) and the European Social Fund (2021FI_B2 00003). Mónica M. Solórzano-Kraemer was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (project SO 894/6-1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.