Priscoculex burmanicus n. gen. et sp. (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new genus and species of mosquito, Priscoculex burmanicus (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae), are described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Diagnostic characters for the holotype female are the presence of scales and setae on the wing veins, a setaceous, straight, proboscis that is subequal in length to the maxillary palpi, rounded margin of the scutellum, the third palpomere with a sensillum chaeticum, long setae on the proboscis and palpi, antennae longer than proboscis, absence of scales on the abdomen, lack of pulvilli and spiracular setae, truncate abdomen and oval cerci. The above-mentioned features are the basis for assigning Priscoculex as an early lineage of the Anophelinae that existed ~100–110 Mya. Discussion is presented on how the Anophelinae could have originated in Gondwana and colonized the interconnected lands before the continents separated.

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