Protheristria roldae, Makarkin & Nielsen & Perkovsky, 2025

Protheristria roldae sp. nov.

Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3

Type material. Holotype: MGUH 35093 (accession number GM 2025.1), an incomplete, poorly preserved specimen with all wings overlapping, collected on February 15, 2025 by Dorthe Rold and John Frandsen ( Erslev, Denmark) and deposited in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Type locality and horizon. Denmark: northern Jutland : Mors Island : Vangsgaard pit ( 56.94130°N, 8.89170°E); Fur Formation, middle part of the Knudeklint Member ( 0.5 m above ash layer -17); earliest Eocene GoogleMaps .

Etymology. From the surname of Dorthe Rold, one of collectors of the holotype.

Description. Body fragmentarily preserved. Head, abdomen missing; thorax crumpled, brownish (probably prothorax missing). Middle and hind legs fragmentarily preserved, pale. Middle leg femur elongate, rather stout; mid-tibia long, narrow. Hind femur elongate, rather narrow. Abdomen very poorly and fragmentarily preserved, details not discernable; setae short.

Forewing ca. 13.6 mm long, 3.9 mm wide. Costal space relatively narrow, dilated most at proximal 1/6 length, narrowed basad and distad. Subcostal veinlets fragmentarily preserved, simple, widely spaced. Pterostigma very pale, slightly brownish, relatively short, veinlets within it indiscernible but setae numerous; distal crossvein between Sc, RA probably located in central part of pterostigma. Subcostal space relatively narrow, slightly dilated before pterostigma; no crossveins detected. RA distally with three widely spaced veinlets: two proximal long (of these, one shallowly forked); distal-most short. RA space with three crossveins. RP originates far from wing base (at ca. 0.29% complete length); with six branches, all forked once. M basally not fused with R; forked at level of origin of RP. MA, MP each once forked. Fork of Cu not preserved. CuA, CuP, forked once with all branches simple. A1 fragmentarily preserved. First (basal) gradate series of crossveins not preserved. Second series with three crossveins: 2r-m short, connecting stem of RP and MA; 2m-cu long, connecting MP at its origin and CuA opposite 2icu; 2icu long, connecting CuA, and anterior branch of CuP (proximal crossvein between RA, RP may belong to this series). Third series absent (intermediate proximal crossvein between RA, RP may belong to this series). Fourth (outer) series complete, nearly parallel to posterior margin, with seven crossveins from distal branch of RP to MP. Wing maculation probably absent. Setae on vein short, scarce; on costal margin denser.

Hind wing 10 mm long as preserved (estimated complete length ca. 11.0– 11.5 mm), ca. 3.0 mm wide. Costal space not preserved except pterostigmal region. One subcostal veinlet partly preserved. Pterostigma very similar to that of forewing in shape and color; veinlets within it indiscernible but setae numerous; distal crossvein stout, between Sc, RA located in central part of pterostigma. Subcostal space relatively broad, almost not dilated before pterostigma; with one distal crossvein detected, short and stout. Stem of RA very shallowly forked distally, with two long simple veinlets. RA space slightly narrowed toward apex, with three crossveins. RP originates rather far from wing base; with six branches, all forked once (distal-most branch very shallowly forked). M forked far distad origin of RP. MA, MP each forked once. Two crossveins preserved between MP, CuA: 2m-cu long, 3m-cu shorter than 2m-cu. CuA fragmentarily preserved, probably pectinately forked, with one preserved simple branch. CuP, anal veins not preserved. First (basal) gradate series of crossveins not preserved. Second series represented by two crossveins: 2r-m moderately long, connecting stem of RP and MA; 2m-cu long, connecting MP and CuA. Third series absent (intermediate proximal crossvein between RA, RP may belong to this series). Fourth (outer) series complete, nearly parallel to posterior margin, with seven crossveins from distal branch of RP to CuA. Wing maculation probably absent. Setae on veins short, scarce; on costal margin denser.

Remarks. A few veins in basal parts of wings seen in the photograph ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ) are not depicted in drawings ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ) as it is impossible to determine which wings they belong to.