Abstract
Mythenteles evenhuisi sp. nov. is described from Rovno amber and compared with Mythenteles baltica Evenhuis, 2002. The discovery of fourteen males of Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis within a single Rovno amber piece, along with six specimens of Glabellula Bezzi in another amber piece, strongly suggests that swarming behavior in Mythicomyiidae occurred as frequently in Eocene forest as observed in extant European populations. Glabellula aggregata Evenhuis, 2013 is considered a senior synonym of Glabellula perkovskyi Evenhuis, 2013 syn. nov. Localities of findings of all Eocene microbombyliids known from Ukraine and Denmark are indicated. The higher frequency of Mythicomyiidae in Rovno amber as compared to Baltic amber may indicate a greater prevalence of open, dry habitats in the Rovno amber forest.
References
- Baranov, V.A., Kvifte, G.M. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2016) Two new species of fossil Corethrella Coquillett from Late Eocene Rovno amber, with a species-level phylogeny for the family based on morphological traits (Diptera: Corethrellidae). Systematic Entomology, 41 (2), 531–540. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12172
- Belokobylskij, S.A., Simutnik, S.A., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2023) First record of the parasitoid subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in Rovno amber: description of a new genus and species with stigma-like enlargement on the hind wing of the male. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 95, 59–72. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.95.96784
- Bezzi, M. (1902) Neue Namen für einige Dipteren-Gattungen. Zeitschrift für Systematische Hymenopterologie und Dipterologie, 2 (3), 190–192.
- Chemyreva, V.G., Legalov, A.A. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2024) A new genus of Ambositrinae (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae) from Rovno amber and remarks on the Eocene distribution of the subfamily. Ecologica Montenegrina, 79, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.79.9
- Coquillett, D.W. (1893) An anomalous empid. Entomological News, 4, 208–210.
- Cumming, J.M. & Wood, D.M. (2017) Adult morphology and terminology. In: Kirk-Spriggs, A. & Sinclair, B.J. (Eds.), Afrotropical Diptera. Vol. 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 89–133.
- Dietrich, C.H. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2020) A new genus and species representing the first leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Eocene Rovno amber. Palaeoentomology, 3, 180–187. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.3.2.7
- Dietrich, C.H., Dmitriev, D.A. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2021) A new leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from late Eocene Rovno amber described based on the adult and associated last-instar nymph from Perebrody. Palaeoentomology, 4, 445–452. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.10
- Drohojowska, J., Zmarzły, M. & Szwedo, J. (2024) The discovery of a fossil whitefly from Lower Lusatia (Germany) presents a challenge to current ideas about Baltic amber. Scientific Reports, 14, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-74197-8
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2002) Review of the Tertiary microbombyliids (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) in Baltic, Bitterfeld, and Dominican amber. Zootaxa, 100 (1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.100.1.1
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2003) World revision of the microbombyliid genus Mythenteles Hall & Evenhuis (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae). Zootaxa, 346 (1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.346.1.1
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2013) New microbombyliids (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) from Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers, with notes on previously described amber species. Zootaxa, 3731 (3), 371–380. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3731.3.6
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2014) Mythicomyiidae. In: Catalog of the fossil flies of the world (Insecta: Diptera) website. Version 2.0. Available from: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/fossilcat/fossmythico.html (accessed 21 September 2025)
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2017) Mythicomyiidae. In: Kirk-Springs, A.H. & Sinclair, B.J. (Eds.), Manual of Afrotropical Diptera. Vol. 2. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, pp. 1005–1017.
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2019) First fossil record of the genus Reissa Evenhuis & Báez (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Mythicomyiinae) from the Eocene Green River Formation of North America, and discussion of biogeographical implications. Palaeoentomology, 2, 223–228. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.2.3.5
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2022a) Old World species of Mythicomyia Coquillett (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae): examples of a relict genus? Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, 145, 1–14.
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2022b) Zzyzzarro, a new genus of Psiloderoidinae (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) from Western Australia found on social media. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, 150, 1–11.
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2024) World catalog of Mythicomyiidae (Insecta: Diptera) Revised edition. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Entomology, 17, 1–95.
- Evenhuis, N.L. & Kettani, K. (2018) Genera of Mythicomyiidae (Insecta, Diptera) new to the fauna of Morocco, with descriptions of new species. Zootaxa, 4429 (2), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4429.2.9
- Fedotova, Z.A. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2008) New taxa of gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) from Dubrovitsa (Rovno amber). Vestnik Zoologii, 42, 27–40. [in Russian]
- Fedotova, Z.A., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2024) Vladimiretskia nathani gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae: Porricondylinae, Asynaptini, Vladimiretskiana subtr. nov.) from Eocene Rovno amber with description of their eggs. Ecologica Montenegrina, 72, 146–157. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.72.14
- Gibbs, D. (2009) A new microbombyliid Mythenteles rameli sp. n. (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae) from northern Greece. Zootaxa, 2162 (1), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2162.1.4
- Giłka, W., Harbach, R.E. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2021) Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Eocene amber from the Rovno region, Ukraine. Zootaxa, 5016 (2), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5016.2.6
- Greathead, D.J. & Evenhuis, N.L. (2001) Annotated keys to the genera of African Bombylioidea (Diptera: Bombyliidae; Mythicomyiidae). African Invertebrates, 42 (1), 105–224. [https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC84477]
- Grichanov, I.Ya. (2023) A new extinct genus of long-legged flies, with a brief review and key to extinct genera of Baltic amber Dolichopodidae (Diptera). Paleontological Journal, 57 (Supplement 3), 246–261. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030123600051
- Hall, J.C. & Evenhuis, N.L. (1986) Bombyliidae. In: Griffiths, G.C.D. (Ed.), Flies of the Nearctic Region. Vol. V. Part 13. Number 5. E. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, pp. 321–592.
- Hennig, W. (1966) Bombyliidae im Kopal und im baltischen Bernstein (Diptera: Brachycera). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, 166, 1–20.
- Hennig, W. (1969) Kritische Betrachtungen über die phylogenetische Bedeutung von Bernsteinfossilen: Die Gattungen Proplatypygus (Diptera, Bombyliidae) und Palaeopyslla (Siphonaptera). Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana, 48, 57–67.
- Hesse, A.J. (1956) A revision of the Bombyliidae (Diptera) of Southern Africa Part III. Annals of the South African Museum, 35, 465–947.
- Jenkins Shaw, J., Perkovsky, E.E., Ślipiński, A., Escalona, H. & Solodovnikov, A. (2024) An extralimital fossil of the genus Diagrypnodes (Coleoptera: Salpingidae: Inopeplinae). Historical Biology, 36, 1196–1203. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2023.2206858
- Kirichenko-Babko, M. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2023) The first neotropical ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Eocene of Ukraine: finding the first Old World ant nest beetle related to Eohomopterus in the Rovno amber. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 114, 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755691023000105
- Larsson, S.G. (1978) Baltic amber—a paleobiological study. Entomonograph, 1, 1–192. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004631243
- Legalov, A.A., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2023a) From abundance to extinction: evolutionary history of European Aedemonini (Curculionidae) with a description of the first representative from Rovno amber. Diversity, 15, 376. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030376
- Legalov, A.A., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2023b) New proxy for Moraceae in Priabonian of Europe: first record of the genus Demimaea Pascoe, 1870 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Eocene Rovno amber. Historical Biology, 35 (8), 1322–1328. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2022.2089983
- Lyubarsky, G.Yu., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2024) Ceratonotha, a new erotylid genus (Coleoptera, Erotylidae) from late Eocene amber. Zootaxa, 5458 (2), 275–285. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5458.2.6
- Mänd, K., Muehlenbachs, K., McKellar, R.C., Wolfe, A.P. & Konhauser, K. (2018) Distinct origins for Rovno and Baltic ambers: evidence from carbon and hydrogen stable isotopes. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 505, 265–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.06.004
- Matalin, A.V., Perkovsky, E.E. & Vasilenko, D.V. (2021) First record of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) from Rovno amber, with the description of a new genus and species. Zootaxa, 5016 (2), 243–256. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5016.2.5
- Melnitsky, S.I., Ivanov, V.D., Perkovsky, E.E. & Legalov, A.A. (2024a) The new species and two new records of Polycentropodidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from Eocene Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 75, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.75.1
- Melnitsky, S.I., Ivanov, V.D., Legalov, A.A. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2024b) Palaeohelicopsyche netnetdaida sp. n., a first species of Helicopsychidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from Eocene Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 79, 118–124. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.79.11
- Melnitsky, S.I., Ivanov, V.D., Perkovsky, E.E., Vasilenko, D.V. & Legalov, A.A. (2024c) The new species of Holocentropus, Plectrocnemia and Phryganea (Insecta: Trichoptera) from Eocene Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 80, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.80.1
- Melnitsky, S.I., Ivanov, V.D., Perkovsky, E.E. & Legalov, A.A. (2025a) New Nyctiophylax Brauer, 1865 and Plectrocnemia Stephens, 1836 (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae) from Eocene Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 83, 104–111. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2025.83.11
- Melnitsky, S.I., Ivanov, V.D., Perkovsky, E.E. & Legalov, A.A. (2025b) Three new species of Plectrocnemia Stephens, 1836 (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae) from Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 87, 90–100. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2025.87.4
- Mielczarek, Ł.E. (2018) New records of Mythicomyiidae and Bombyliidae (Usiinae) for Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Iran. Dipteron, 34, 68–79. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2510196
- Nel, A. (2006) Oldest records of Bombyliidae: Phthiriinae and Mythicomyiidae: Glabellulinae from the lowermost Eocene amber of France (Diptera: Bombylioidea). European Journal of Entomology, 103, 109–114. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2006.016
- Olmi, M., Eggs, B., Capradossi, L., van de Kamp, T., Perkovsky, E.E., Guglielmino, A. & Vasilenko, D.V. (2022a) A new species of Bocchus from upper Eocene Rovno amber (Hymenoptera, Dryinidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 92, 257–272. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.92.87084
- Olmi, M., Guglielmino, A., Vasilenko, D.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2022b) Discovery of the first apterous pincer wasp from amber, with description of a new tribe, genus and species of Apodryininae (Hymenoptera, Dryinidae). Zootaxa, 5162 (1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5162.1.3
- Perkovsky, E.E. (2011) First finding of Pareuthychaeta minuta (Campichoetidae) in Rovno amber. Vestnik Zoologii, 45, 286. [in Russian]
- Perkovsky, E.E., Zosimovich, V.Yu. & Vlaskin, A.P. (2010) Rovno amber. In: Penney, D. (Ed.), Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press, Manchester, pp. 116–136.
- Shamshev, I.V., Perkovsky, E.E. & Legalov, A.A. (2025) A new species of hybotid dance fly of the genus Eodromyia (Diptera: Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) from the late Eocene Rovno amber. Ecologica Montenegrina, 81, 14–21. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2024.81.2
- Simutnik, S.A., Pankowski, M.V. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2025) A new genus of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), the first known hymenopteran in amber from Lower Lusatia (Germany). Palaeoentomology, 8, 29–35. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.8.1.5
- Vlaskin, A.P. & Perkovsky, E.E. (2005) Composition of dipterofauna (Insecta: Diptera) of Vyrka and Dubovka at the family level and new data on Klesov dipterofauna (Rovno amber). The Kharkov Entomological Society Gazette, 12 (1–2), 168–173. [in Russian]
- Wolfe, J.A. (1979) Temperature parameters of humid to mesic forests of eastern Asia and relation to forests of other regions of the northern hemisphere and Australasia. United States Geological Survey professional paper, 1106, 1–37, 3 pls. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1106
- Zakrzewska, M., Perkovsky, E.E., Harbach, R.E. & Giłka, W. (2025) Aetheapnomyia Harbach & Greenwalt (Diptera: Culicidae: Culicinae: Aedini) revisited based on a new record from Rovno amber. Zootaxa, 5706 (2), 175–188. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5706.2.2
 
		 
                    					
				