Genus Paleoculicis Poinar, Zavortink, Pike & Johnston, 2000
Paleoculicis minutus Poinar, Zavortink, Pike & Johnston, 2000.
Subfamily Burmaculicinae. Paleoculicis is currently monobasic. Genus abbreviation – Pc.
ADULT MALES: Minute mosquitoes; vertex of the head with erect piliform scales; eyes with fewer and larger facets in relation to the size of the head than extant culicids; antenna with the pedicel greatly enlarged, without scales or setae, flagellum strongly verticillate, flagellomere 1 with scales; clypeus smaller than the antennal pedicel, without scales or setae; maxillary palpus long, dark-scaled, comprised of 5 palpomeres, palpomere 3 gradually enlarged toward the apex, with long setae ventrally at the apex, palpomere 4 with numerous long strong setae, palpomere 5 swollen in the distal 0.5, with fewer shorter and finer setae; scutellum rounded, with a uniform row of setae on the posterior edge; mesopostnotum without setae or scales; antepronota small, widely separated; thoracic pleura without scales; prespiracular and postspiracular setae absent; upper proepisternal, prealar, mesokatepisternal and upper anterior and posterior mesepimeral setae present; mesokatepisternum with a broad band of setae in 2 or 3 vertical rows extending the entire length of the sclerite, mesepimeron with 2 strong lower anterior setae and 2 or 3 posterior setae; prealar area and mesokatepisternum not separated by a suture; mesomeron large, upper edge distinctly above the base of the hindcoxa; wing with distinct microtrichia; subcostal vein with setae at the base ventrally; vein Rs without a basal spur; cell R2 2.3 the length of vein R2+3; anal vein (vein 1A) terminates beyond the base of the mediocubital crossvein; alula with marginal piliform scales; upper calypter with a row of marginal setae; ungues paired, enlarged, unequal, larger anterior unguis with a sharp basal denticle and a long blunt submedian tooth, smaller posterior unguis with a short basal spur projecting laterally; empodium present; pulvilli apparently not developed; abdominal terga and sterna with long setae, without scales; gonocoxite with few setae, with strong spicules distally; claspette (?) a large rounded lobe with setae. See Burmaculicinae.
Unique characteristics of the type male suggest that Paleoculicis may represent a major lineage that died out during the evolution of the extant groups of Culicinae.
The Campanian Age was generally warm and species of all vertebrate groups, including the first placental mammals, were present. Since females of Pc. minutus were probably blood feeders, they could have fed on reptiles, including dinosaurs, birds and mammals. It is equally likely that the immature stages of Pc. minutus may have developed in groundwater or phytotelm habitats.
The single known species is from Canadian amber (Alberta).
Poinar et al., 2000 (new genus, diagnosis, descriptions, phylogenetic considerations, list of fossil mosquitoes); Szadziewski et al., 2024 (transfer to Burmaculicinae, morphology of type species).
minutus Poinar, Zavortink, Pike & Johnston, 2000 (72.1–83.6 Mya, Mesozoic, Upper Cretaceous, Campanian)
