Systematic and palaeoecology of Psychodidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Miocene Mexican amber

摘要

Psychodidae is a family of nematoceran flies distributed worldwide with about 3000 extant and more than 90 fossil species from diverse Tertiary and Cretaceous ambers. However, the fossil and also recent psychodid fauna from Mexico is still poorly investigated although Mexican amber is one of the most important amber deposits of the Tertiary and the region is considered to belong to a megadiversity area today. In the present work 40 fossil Psychodidae in Mexican amber from Simojovel are studied with the focus on systematic descriptions and palaeoecological significance. The composition of the fossil psychodid fauna with primarily subaquatic and terrestrial genera but only a few aquatic representatives indicates a tropical forest with damp ground containing masses of decomposing organic matter. Six new species and one new genus are described: Tricbomyia ricbardi n. sp., Tricbomyia axeli n. sp., Psycboda rusti n. sp., Psycboda tzotzili n. sp., Pbilosepedon apozonallii n. sp. and Matuna becblyi n.gen. et sp.