Protosialis
Species Guides
2- Protosialis americana(American alderfly)
- Protosialis glabella
Protosialis is a of alderflies in the Sialidae, Sialinae. The genus is distinguished by orange and black coloration on the and pronotum, combined with reduced crossveins in the costal region of the forewing. At least one extinct , P. casca, is known from early Miocene Dominican amber. The living species P. bifasciata is native to Cuba and represents one of only two species known from the West Indies.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Protosialis: /ˌproʊtoʊˈsaɪəlɪs/
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Identification
Protosialis can be distinguished from the related Sialis by the combination of orange and black coloration on the and pronotum, and by having a reduced number of crossveins in the costal region of the forewing. In P. casca, the legs display black and white patterning with white on the protibia and mesotibia and black elsewhere. Wing are dusky brownish-gray with darker brown to black .
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Distribution
The is known from the West Indies, specifically Cuba (extant P. bifasciata) and Hispaniola (extinct P. casca from Dominican amber deposits).
Similar Taxa
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Taxonomic history
Protosialis was originally described as a subgenus of Sialis by Engel and Grimaldi in 2007 when naming P. casca as Sialis (Protosialis) casca. Most current taxonomists treat Protosialis as a separate .
Fossil record
The extinct P. casca is known from a single male specimen in Dominican amber dated to the early Miocene Burdigalian stage, approximately 20-16 million years ago.