Review of the Cretaceous †Archaeatropidae and †Empheriidae and description of a new genus and species from Burmese amber (Psocoptera)

The extinct bark lice families †Archaeatropidae and †Empheriidae are considered closely related, yet distinct based upon an ever-dwindling set of morphological features. To help highlight the known variability in venation for described species, we present brief discussions for each Cretaceous species for these two families, illustrations of their wing venation, and a key to species. While reviewing Cretaceous Psocopterans belonging to †Archaeatropidae and †Empheriidae, we found a consistent wing venation pattern not yet recognized, and therefore herein describe a new genus and species of extinct bark louse which is tentatively placed within
†Archaeatropidae due to many of the forewing veins having a singular row of setae (although several veins also have double setae, a feature common to †Empheriidae) from Myanmar amber of the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian stage). Heliadesdakruon gen. nov. shares features with both Archaeatropos Baz & Ortuño, 2000 and Bcharreglaris Azar & Nel, 2004 but can be differentiated from these two morphologically similar genera by the forewing vein separating the two closed cells as Heliadesdakruon gen. nov. has the vein strongly angled so that it is parallel with the posterior wing margin (not subparallel like in Bcharreglaris or perpendicular like in
Archaeatropos). Within this new genus the new species Heliadesdakruon morganae gen. et sp. nov. is described as the solely known species at the present. Additionally, the species Archaeatropos perantiqua (Cockrell, 1919) is illustrated from a recently collected specimen which matches the original description which was based upon a poor condition specimen. This more complete specimen e darkened pterostigma, the long and narrow wings, lack of prominent forewing setae, and the long and thin distal closed forewing cell, this species is better placed within the recently described †Cormopsocidae Yoshizawa and Lienhard, 2020, and is therefore transferred to the single present genus within the family, creating the new combination Cormopsocus perantiqua (Cockrell, 1919) comb. nov.

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