Nanoraphidia
| Nanoraphidia Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian?) 92 Ma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Raphidioptera |
| Family: | †Mesoraphidiidae |
| Genus: | †Nanoraphidia Engel, 2002 |
| Binomial name | |
| Nanoraphidia electroburmica Engel, 2002 | |
Nanoraphidia is an extinct monotypic genus of snakefly in the family Mesoraphidiidae containing the single species Nanoraphidia electroburmica.[1]
The genus name is derived from a combination of the Greek nano (dwarf) and the snakefly genus Raphidia, and the species name from the Latin electrum (amber) and Burma, the former name of Myanmar.[1] The genus is known from only the holotype, a single, partial adult, now deposited in the American Museum of Natural History as specimen number Bu-092.[1] The amber specimen is from deposits in Tanai Village, Kachin State 105 kilometres (65 mi) northwest of Myitkyina, Myanmar.
The specimen has a badly disarticulated thorax and abdomen, which are present in the amber as integumental debris, however the head, wings, and anterior legs are in good condition.[1] Nanoraphidia electroburmica is the smallest known Raphidioptera species, living or extinct, the fore wings being only 4.2 millimetres (0.17 in) long.[1] The genus is also the first to be described from a specimen of old world amber. Nanoraphidia is separatable from other Mesoraphidiidae genera by the small size of specimens and distinct vein structure of the wings.[1] The wings have an expanded costal area which is similar in appearance to the costal ares in Cretinocellia and Lugala. Both of these genera, however, belong to the Baissopteridae family and have many more crossveins and cells between Rs and M veins. The specimen shows N. electroburmica to have had a brown coloration to the body and a hyaline appearance to the wings.[1]