The Oldest Evolutionary Lineage of Trichoneura Loew, 1850 (Diptera, Limoniidae) and the First Evidence of This Genus in Cretaceous Spanish Amber

SIMPLE SUMMARY: A new established subgenus (genus Trichoneura, family Limoniidae) from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber represents the oldest lineage of the genus and exhibits a unique morphology of hypopygium characterized by a huge lobe on the gonocoxite. The discovery of this new subgenus sheds new light on the chronostratigraphic distribution and diversity of the genus Trichoneura and the evolution of the Limoniidae. The is oldest known species of Trichoneura and is important for understanding the evolution of this group of insects. ABSTRACT: A new subgenus Cretalinea subgen. nov. of Trichoneura (Diptera, Limoniidae) is established with one new species: Trichoneura (Cretalinea) xavieri subgen. et sp. nov. This is the first report of the genus Trichoneura in Spanish amber and the first record of the genus from the Lower Cretaceous period. The oldest described species of Trichoneura is compared with other species of the genus with particular reference to those known species from the Upper Cretaceous. A list and key of fossil species of Trichoneura are given.