Sinosmylites pectinatus Hong, 1983, by original designation.

Forewing: costal space strongly narrowed basally; humeral veinlet not recurrent and branched; Sc, R1 fused distally; Sc+R1 with 9-11 veinlets, mostly simple; all subcostal veinlets simple; M forked far distal to origin of Rs; CuA pectinate, with seven branches; few crossveins in radial space arranged mainly in 1-2 ‘inner’ gradate series.

Three species from the Middle Jurassic of China (Jiulongshan Formation): Sinosmylites pectinatus (Liaoning Province), Sinosmylites fumosus sp. n. and Sinosmylites rasnitsyni sp. n. (Inner Mongolia).

The venation of these two new species is very similar to that of Sinosmylites pectinatus. The latter species is represented by a nearly complete forewing (Hong 1983). Unfortunately, however, it is quite poorly figured, and its type is now lost. Nevertheless, all main features of Sinosmylites fumosus sp. n. and Sinosmylites rasnitsyni sp. n. forewings agree well with those confirmed of Sinosmylites pectinatus, i.e., similar size (length 5.5 mm in Sinosmylites pectinatus; about 6.5 mm in Sinosmylites fumosus sp. n.; 6.7 mm in Sinosmylites rasnitsyni sp. n.), coloration (a single, more or less fuscous color), and the venational character states are as provided in the generic diagnosis. The few differences between the type species and the two new species (e.g., the presence of two ‘inner’ gradate series, and the CuP twice forked in Sinosmylites pectinatus) are at most specific.

Differs from both other species of Sinosmylites by more closely spaced subcostal veinlets, and more deeply forked CuP.

Body indistinctly preserved. Antennae moniliform, incomplete; preserved segments transverse (wider than long). Prothorax short. Mesonotum of usual neuropteran morphology. Legs covered with short hairs; fore-, mid-legs relatively short; hind-leg tibia long; fore-, hind-leg basitarsus longest segment of tarsus. Abdomen very poorly preserved.

Forewing with broad-rounded apex, 6.7 mm long, 3.0 mm wide. Costal space moderately broad, strongly dilated at proximal 1/5 of wing length, narrowed basally. Subcostal veinlets simple, regularly arranged, closely spaced. Sc distally fused with R1 far from wing apex; Sc+R1 with 9-11 simple veinlets. Subcostal space broad, with one basal crossveins located immediately after origin of Rs. R1 space narrower than subcostal space; three widely-spaced crossveins before fusion of Sc, R1, one after. Rs with 11 (right wing), 10 (left wing) parallel pectinate regularly-spaced branches; six proximal branches with 2-4 terminal forks, other branches once forked. Rs1 originating near origin of Rs. M appears fused basally for short distance; forked much distal to origin of Rs1. MA, MP almost parallel, distally with one, two quite long forked branches respectively. Cu divided into CuA, CuP proximal to origin of Rs. CuA pectinate, with 7 branches, some once forked. CuP once deeply forked. Anal veins very poorly preserved; 1A, 2A apparently once deeply forked each; 3A simple. Four gradate series of crossveins posterior to stem of Rs partly preserved (series 1-4 of Oswald 1993). First series: crossvein 1r-m (located at origin of Rs). Second series: crossveins 2icu (connecting CuA, anterior branch of CuP), 2icup (between branches of CuP). Third (‘inner’) series: six crossveins preserved (between Rs1, Rs8). Fourth (‘outer’) series: four irregularly-spaced crossveins preserved (between Rs2, CuA). Wing one color, slightly fuscous. Veins dark brown as preserved.

Hind wing poorly preserved, approximately 6.5 mm long, 2.6 mm wide. Costal space narrow, distally only slightly dilated. Subcostal veinlets simple, rather closely spaced. Sc distally fused with R1 far from wing apex; Sc+R1 with 13 simple veinlets. Subcostal space relatively narrow; no crossveins detected. R1 space broad, dilated basally; two crossveins before fusion of Sc, R1, one after. Rs originating far from wing base, with eight branches, each forked distally 1-3 times except Rs1 which deeply forked four times. Fork of M not detected. MA once forked distally; MP dichotomously branched distally. CuA long, almost parallel to hind margin, its branches poorly preserved. CuA space relatively broad. CuP fragmentary preserved, quite short. Anal veins not preserved. Crossveins posterior to stem of Rs not detected except one distal between MP, CuA (4m-cu).

Holotype CNU-NEU-NN2011002P (part), CNU-NEU-NN2011002C (counterpart), deposited in CNUB. A nearly complete specimen.

Daohugou Village, Shantou township, Ningcheng county, Inner Mongolia, China. Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic.

The species is named in honor of the distinguished Russian paleoentomologist Prof. Alexandr Pavlovich Rasnitsyn.

Differs from Sinosmylites pectinatus by CuP once forked (twice forked in Sinosmylites pectinatus), by presence of one ‘inner’ gradate series of crossveins (two in Sinosmylites pectinatus) (see differences from Sinosmylites rasnitsyni sp. n. under that species.).

Forewing with broad-rounded apex, about 6.0 mm long (as preserved, estimated complete length about 6.5 mm), 2.6 mm wide. Costal space moderately broad, most dilated at proximal 1/5 of wing length. Subcostal veinlets simple, regularly arranged, less closely spaced than in previous species. Sc distally fused with R1 far from wing apex; Sc+R1 with nine veinlets (eight simple, one forked). Subcostal space broad, with two basal crossveins. R1 space nearly as wide as subcostal space; six crossveins before fusion of Sc and R1, one after. Rs with nine pectinate, regularly spaced branches; four proximal-most branches with 2-4 terminal forks, other branches once forked. Rs1 originating at some distance from origin of Rs. M not fused basally; forked much distal to origin of Rs1. MA, MP almost parallel, distally with one (simple) , two (one simple) branches respectively. Cu divided into CuA, CuP proximal to origin of Rs. CuA pectinate, with 7 branches; proximal-most branch once forked. CuP once deeply forked. Anal veins incompletely preserved; 1A with single marginal fork; 2A with two marginal short branches; 3A very incomplete, with single fork preserved. Four gradate series of crossveins posterior to stem of Rs, all incomplete. First series consists of three crossveins: 1r-m (located at origin of Rs), 1m-cu, 1a1-a2 (longer than previous); Second series includes two crossveins: 2m-cu (connecting MP, CuA), 2icu (connecting CuA, anterior branch of CuP). Third (‘inner’) series with six crossveins (3rs-rs7, 3rs5-rs4 to 3rs2-rs1; two between Rs3, Rs2). Fourth (‘outer’) series with five crossveins (from 4rs2-rs1 to 4m-cu; two between Rs1, MA). Wing one color, fuscous. Veins mainly dark brown as preserved.

Holotype CNU-NEU-NN2011003, deposited in CNUB. A nearly complete forewing.

Daohugou Village, Shantou township, Ningcheng county, Inner Mongolia, China. Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic.

From the Latin fumosus, smoked, in reference to the coloration of wings.

Hind wing approximately 6.5 mm long, 2.7 mm wide. Humeral lobe not extended; frenulum poorly-developed consisting of few bristles. Costal space narrow, dilated towards apex. Subcostal veinlets simple, more closely-spaced apically. Sc distally fused with R1 far from wing apex; Sc+R1 with seven long veinlets (one forked). Subcostal space relatively broad, with one basal crossveins. R1 space nearly as wide as subcostal space; four crossveins before fusion of Sc, R1. Rs with seven pectinate, regularly spaced branches; one branch deeply forked. Rs1 originating at some distance from origin of Rs. Proximal crossvein m-r long, connecting Rs1 near its origin with M. M forked distal to origin of Rs1. MA, MP almost parallel, distally with few branches. CuA long, slightly incurved, in general parallel to hind margin, with nine forkes branches originated at angle >45 degrees, one simple branch. CuP short, with two branched preserved. 1A–3A not preserved. Crossvein between CuA, 1A (or CuP). One crossvein between Rs, Rs6 in ‘inner’ gradate series (possibly anomalous). Six crossveins (from Rs4 to CuA) in ‘outer’ gradate series preserved. Wing one color, fuscous. Veins appear mainly dark brown.

Specimen CNU-NEU-NN2011004, deposited in CNUB. A nearly complete hind wing.

Daohugou Village, Shantou township, Ningcheng county, Inner Mongolia, China. Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic.

The venation of this hind wing is typical for Berothidae. In particular, the configuration of CuA is characteristic of this family; although this also occurs in the Nevrorthidae, nevrorthid venation is otherwise dissimilar. Also, the basal crossvein between R and M systems is straight, perpendicular to connecting veins; this is characteristic of all Berothidae except Rhachiberothinae. In the vast majority of extant Berothidae, the complete CuP is lost, but the basal or/and distal parts there are often present. CuP is entirely lost in some genera, both fossil (e.g., Microberotha macculloughi Archibald and Makarkin, 2004) and extant (e.g., Cyrenoberotha MacLeod and Adams, 1968, Berlekrumyia Aspöck and Aspöck, 1988). Therefore, it is hard to determine which vein is preserved in this hind wing, the distal part of CuP or 1A (see Fig. 5B, labeled CuP), as the proximal portion of the wing is not preserved. We tentatively consider this vein to be CuP.

This specimen is tentatively assigned to Sinosmylites. The hind wings of Sinosmylites rasnitsyni sp. n., the only species of the genus in which these are known, are quite poorly preserved and their venation does not enable its generic character states to be determined with confidence. However, this hind wing shares similar size, coloration, and venation (e.g., Sc and R1 are fused; Sc+R1 with many branches; several crossveins between R1 and Rs; the same configuration of the Rs branches) with the forewings of Sinosmylites species. Therefore, this generic affinity is most likely.