Lutzomyia Adiketis

''Lutzomyia adiketis'' is an extinct species of sandfly in the moth fly subfamily Phlebotominae. ''L. adiketis'' is a vector of the extinct '' Paleoleishmania neotropicum'' and both species are solely known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

History and classification

The species is known solely from the holotype specimen, number # P-3–5, a complete female fly. The specimen is currently residing in the Poinar Amber Collection housed at the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The specimen was collected from an unidentified amber mine in the Cordillera Septentrional between Puerto Plata and Santiago de los Caballeros. The specimen was first studied by noted amber researcher George Poinar Jr., from Oregon State University. Poinar published his 2008 type description in the journal ''Parasites & Vectors''. The specific epithet "''adiketis''" was coined by the author as a derivation from the Greek word ('), meaning "injurious".

Description

A number of features in the female fly indicate its placement in the moth fly subfamily Phlebotominae. The specimen lacks an eye bridge and has antenna segments, flagellomeres, with a fusiform shape. The wing venation includes a four branched Rs vein and two longitudinal veins present between the radial and medial forks. Though a number of characters are similar to both the ''Lutzomyia'' subgenera '' Lutzomyia'' and '' Pintomyia'', it lacks the diagnostic row of spines that are found on the femur in ''Pintomyia'' species. As a result, Dr. Poinar tentatively placed the species into subgenus ''Lutzomyia''. The total length of the body is with an overall brown coloration to the body antenna, and legs. The specimen is missing the left hind leg and both middle legs along with most of the antenna hairs and many body hairs. Portions of the legs and many of the hairs are preserved behind the fly in the amber. This placement suggests that the fly struggled to free itself from the resin when first trapped. Found preserved in the proboscis and alimentary tract of the fly were hundreds of trypanosomatid parasites of the species '' Paleoleishmania neotropicum''. During the struggle the fly ruptured her alimentary tract, which allowed some of the flagellates in the gut to leak into the hemocoel. The species ''P. neotropicum'' described from these fossils is the second known occurrence for this parasitic genus.

The Dominican amber species '' Pintomyia paleotownsendi'' and '' P. falcaorum'' have a Sc vein that is free. The Sc meets the costa vein in '' P. paleotrichia''. In contrast '' P. brazilorum'', '' P. killickorum'', '' Lutzomyia filipalpis'', '' L. miocena'', '' L. paleopestis'', '' L. schleei'', and '' L. succini'' all possess an Sc which meets the R₁ vein. The presence of a forked Sc vein in the wings, found in some ''Lutzomyia'' species including ''Lutzomyia adiketis'', is unique among the described species of sandflies from Dominican amber. Living members of the Phlebotominae suck blood from vertebrates, and ''L. adiketis'' is presumed to have done so as well. However, the host(s) of this species has not been identified at this time.

The Dominican Republic is now home to only two living species of ''Lutzomyia'', '' L. cayennensis hispaniolae'' and '' L. christophei'' and both species are placed in the ''Verrucarum'' species group. none of the described ''Verrucarum'' group species possess the forked Sc vein that distinguishes ''L. adiketis'' from the modern species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4043273

Psychodidae
Prehistoric insects of the Caribbean
Fauna of Hispaniola
Diptera of North America
Miocene insects of North America
Burdigalian first appearances
Burdigalian extinctions
Fossil taxa described in 2008
Insects described in 2008
Insects of the Dominican Republic
Taxa named by George Poinar Jr.
Dominican amber
Species known from a single specimen