A Winged Zorotypus in Miocene Amber from the Dominician Republic (Zoraptera: Zorotypidae), with Discussion on Relationships of and within the Order

Abstract

A new fossil zorapteran is described and figured in Miocene Dominican amber. The specimen is the first winged Zorotypus fossil, and is described as Zorotypus goeleti n.sp. The species is distinguished from the only other fossil zorapteran, Z. palaeus also in Dominican amber, as well as an extant species to which it appears most similar, Z. snyderi. The new fossil is significant in the possession of segmented cerci, a plesiomorphic character unique for the order. The classification of the order is briefly summarized and genera proposed by Kukalová - Peck and Peck (1993) and Chao and Chen (2000) are new ly synonymized under Zorotypus. Phylogenetic affinities within Zoraptera and of the order among other lower Neoptera are briefly discussed. The order is considered to be most closely allied to the webspinners, order Embiidina.