Festenus microraptor, Mainda, Tobias, 2024

Festenus microraptor nov.sp. ( Figs 1A–F)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B376AA95-4222-47F2-A197-0A6D26B72207

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: “ Myanmar: Hkamti, Sagaing Division, leg. local collector “ / “ HOLOTYPE, Festenus microraptor nov.sp., design. Mainda, 2024” (cTM).

L o c a l i t y a n d h o r i z o n: Hkamti site ( Myanmar), Early/Middle Cretaceous (Albian, 110 Ma).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Measurements: BL: ca. 1.64 mm, FBL: ca. 0.93 mm, DE: ca. 0.19 mm, EL: 0.37 mm, EW: ca. 0.37 mm, HW: 0.28 mm, PL: 0.32 mm, PW: ca. 0.29 mm.

Habitus as in Fig. 1A. Body brownish-blackish; elytra extensively reddish lightened, anterior fourth darkened; legs and antennae yellowish.

Head with broad median portion of frons, with coarse and dense puncture; eyes large, covering almost entire side of head, temples very short; maxillary palpomere III 2 times as long as wide, maxillary palpomere IV most possibly minute, not clearly visible ( Fig. 1D); antennae robust ( Fig. 1B), club antennomeres IX and XI slightly longer than wide, club antennomere X slightly wider than long (artefact?); length of antennomere IX: 0.03 mm; X: 0.03 mm; XI: 0.05 mm, ending in a small tip at apex.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1C) coarsely and densely punctured, widest in middle, slightly convexly narrowed towards anterior margin, concavely narrowed towards posterior margin. Legs robust; metatibiae and -tarsi with distinct pubescence ( Fig. 1F).

Elytra ( Fig. 1E) widest in posterior third, humeral angles hinted; coarsely punctured, with longitudinal furrows over entire length of each elytron, metathoric wings fully developed ( Fig. 1A).

Abdomen ( Fig. 1F) with distinct coarse punctures; laterally distinct pubescence visible; paratergites not clearly visible, but probably present; structure of sternites not visible without significant grinding of amber piece (therefore no statement about sex of specimen possible).

D i f f e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s: Festenus microraptor nov.sp. is distinguished from F. gracilis and F. annodutt by much smaller size and the distinct general different habitus. From F. robustus , possibly a close related species, the new species can be differentiated by its slightly smaller size, different coloration, relatively larger eyes, and differently shaped pronotum and elytra.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet " microraptor " (gr. mīkrós, small and lat. raptor, predator) refers firstly to the small size of the new species and the typical predatory biology of all Steninae . Secondly, the name is reminiscent of the genus Microraptor XU et al., 2000 , a genus of small, four-winged, dromaeosaurid dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous, which also refers to the time horizon of F. microraptor nov.sp.