The genus <i>Allodia</i> (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) in Miocene Ethiopian amber
V. Bouju,
S. Rosse-Guillevic,
M. Griffon,
B. Bojarski,
J. Szwedo,
V. Perrichot
Affiliations
V. Bouju
Géosciences Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6118, Univ Rennes, 35000 Rennes,
France
S. Rosse-Guillevic
Géosciences Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6118, Univ Rennes, 35000 Rennes,
France
M. Griffon
Géosciences Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6118, Univ Rennes, 35000 Rennes,
France
B. Bojarski
Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber
Inclusions, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of
Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-309 Gdańsk,
Poland
J. Szwedo
Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber
Inclusions, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of
Biology, University of Gdańsk, 59 Wita Stwosza St., 80-309 Gdańsk,
Poland
V. Perrichot
Géosciences Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6118, Univ Rennes, 35000 Rennes,
France
A new, extinct species of Allodia Winnertz is described from early Miocene amber of Ethiopia. Allodia paleoafricana sp. nov. is mostly characterized by the scutum with strong anteromarginal, dorsocentral, and lateral setae and the wing with the stem of the M-fork slightly shorter than the vein r–m and the base of the M4–CuA fork aligned with the base of r–m. The assignment to any of the two subgenera Allodia stricto sensu or Brachycampta Winnertz remains equivocal as the fossil intermingles traits found in both taxa. Allodia is known mostly from the Palearctic region, while only a few species have been described from Africa. In this regard, the new fossil species from Ethiopia brings significant new information regarding the Afrotropical distribution and natural history of the genus.
