Early Cretaceous protist flagellates (Parabasalia: Hypermastigia: Oxymonada) of cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) in Burmese amber

Two Early Cretaceous Burmese amber cockroaches contained protists related to mutualistic flagellates occurring in extant Cryptocercus cockroaches and lower termites. The fossil protists are described as Devescovites proteus Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Parabasalia: Trichomonadida: Devescovinidae), Paleotrichomones burmanicus Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Parabasalia: Trichomonida), Burmanymphus cretacea Poinar n. gen., n. sp. (Hypermastigia: Trichonymphida: Burmanymphidae n. fam.) and Oxymonas gigantea Poinar, n. sp. Additional putative protists are also illustrated. Evolutionary implications of this discovery are discussed.