fossil species, Lophioneurida
† Retiptera brennae
Biology and distribution
Fossil species. Described from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burmit).
The Thripida (Thysanoptera sensu lato) most likely derive from a group of ancient gymnosperm pollen feeders. Shcherbakov et al. (2024) suggest that Iotacyphines also fed on pollen. They may have lived in a beetle-like manner within male strobiles.
References
Cumming RT, Engel MS, Lian Z & Ulitzka MR (2024) Small, intricate, and beautiful; a new species of lophioneurid from the Cretaceous (Insecta: Thripida: †Lophioneurida). Faunitaxys 12 (58): 1–10.
Shcherbakov D, Bashkuev AS & Shmakov AS (2024) A new genus of Lophioneuridae (Thysanoptera s.l.) with elytrized forewings from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.Russian Entomological Journal 33 (3): 272–275.
Zherikhin VV (2000) A new genus and species of Lophioneuridae from Burmese amber (Thripida (=Thysanoptera): Lophioneurina). Bulletin of the Natural History Museum London (Geology) 56: 39–41.
Type information
Holotype ♂: Asian Amber Biological Museum: Tainan, Taiwan.
Paratype ♀: Collection Ulitzka.