Stick insect on unsafe ground: does a fossil from the early Eocene of France really link Mesozoic taxa with the extant crown group of Phasmatodea?

The recently described Gallophasma longipalpis from Earliest Eocene French amber is considered to be a key fossil taxon that phylogenetically links ‘Mesozoic Phasmatodea’ with extant stick and leaf insects. However, our re‐evaluation of the evidence provided for this placement reveals that Gallophasma does not possess any unambiguous synapomorphies with extant forms, e.g. neither with Euphasmatodea nor with the more inclusive Phasmatodea. The fusion of abdominal segment 1 with the metathoracic segment, a derived character state present in both Gallophasma and Euphasmatodea, shows fundamental structural differences, and cannot be homologized between both taxa. We argue that the presence of a well‐developed, externally visible ovipositor and four‐segmented cerci in Gallophasma can be interpreted only as plesiomorphic with regards to all extant Phasmatodea, or even to Phasmatodea plus its putative sister groups Embioptera or Orthoptera. Gallophasma does not belong to the stem lineage of recent Phasmatodea, and is referred to best as ‘lower Neoptera’ or Polyneoptera incertae sedis. Therefore, this fossil may be central to reconstructing the ground pattern of the aforementioned orthopteroid lineages, and to determining wing character polarity within Polyneoptera.     

An early winged crown group stick insect from the Early Eocene amber of France (Insecta,Phasmatodea)

The new stick insect family Gallophasmatidae, based on Gallophasma longipalpis gen. et sp.n. , from the Earliest Eocene French amber has a pattern of tegmina venation typical of Archaeorthoptera, also present in at least some Mesozoic ‘Phasmatodea’. On the other hand, Gallophasma displays in its body anatomy some apomorphies of the extant Euphasmatodea, e.g. fusion of metatergum and abdominal tergum 1, correlated with the reduction of abdominal sternum 1 to lateral triangular sclerites. A unique autapomorphy of Gallophasma is the presence of annulated and apparently multi‐segmented or pseudo‐segmented cerci; all other Phasmatodea have one‐segmented cerci. The venation of the tegmina of Gallophasma differs from that of extant winged Phasmatodea in the plesiomorphic absence of a knob‐like dorsal eversion. This and other differences in the wing venation between extant and extinct Phasmatodea might have been caused by the loss of wings at some point in the evolutionary history of the order and their secondary gain in a subclade of the extant phasmids.     

New Insects (Insecta: Trichoptera,Reculida, Eoblattida) from the Mesozoic of Asia

New caddisflies, reculid and eoblattid insects from the Mesozoic of Asia are described. Caddisflies of the families Philopotamidae (Mesoviatrix paradoxa gen. et sp. nov. and Kempia piotri gen. et sp. nov.) and Polycentropodidae (Polylongevus eskovi gen. et sp. nov.) from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous of the Kempendyai locality in Yakutia are described. A short review and comparison of fossil members in these families are provided. New Gryllones insects, Shurabia tanga sp. nov., Sauk batkenicus gen. et sp. nov. from the Sauk Tan’ga locality (Lower Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan), Say kirgizicus gen. et sp. nov. from the Shurab III locality (Reculida: Geinitziidae; Lower or Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan) Griphopteron iya sp. nov. (Eoblattida: Blattogryllidae) from Iya locality (Middle Jurassic of Russia) are described.     

竹节虫化石在中国的首次发现及其生物学特征 (竹节虫目:神科,新科)(英文)

本文建立竹节虫目昆虫化石1新科,即Haginhasmatidae,包括3新属,3新种和一个本命名种：Hagiphasmaparadoxagen．etsp．nov,Aethephasmamegistagen．etsp．nov．和Orephasmaeummphagen．etsp.nov,并给出新科内属的检索表。对消化道痕迹和保存完好的亚生殖板进行了分析,并与现代类群作了比较。竹节虫化石在我国是首次报道,所有化石材料均采自河北省和辽宁省晚珠罗世义县组地层中,保存在中国地质博物馆。     

The family Phryganeidae (Insecta,Trichoptera) from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic of Asia (with a brief worldwide overview of the fossil caddisfly fauna)

The following new taxa of the family Phryganeidae are described: Proagrypnia sinitsae gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous of Russia (Chernovskie Kopi locality) and Baissophryganoides popovi sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia (Anda-Khuduk locality). A larval case of Folindusia (Acrindusia) phryganoides sp. nov. from the Paleocene of Russia (Arkhara–Boguchan brown coal field) is described. A worldwide overview of the records of fossil adult insects and larval cases of Phryganeidae is presented.     

Mid-Mesozoic flea-like ectoparasites of feathered or haired vertebrates

Parasite-host associations among insects and mammals or birds are well attended by neontological studies [1]. An Eocene bird louse compression fossil [2, 3] and several flea specimens from Eocene and Oligocene ambers [4-8], reported to date, are exceptionally similar to living louse and flea taxa. But the origin, morphology, and early evolution of parasites and their associations with hosts are poorly known [9, 10] due to sparse records of putative ectoparasites with uncertain classification in the Mesozoic, most lacking mouthpart information and other critical details of the head morphology [11-15]. Here we present two primitive flea-like species assigned to the Pseudopulicidae Gao, Shih et Ren familia nova (fam. nov.), Pseudopulex jurassicus Gao, Shih et Ren genus novum et species nova (gen. et sp. nov) from the Middle Jurassic [16] and P. magnus Gao, Shih et Ren sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous in China [17]. They exhibit many features of ectoparasitic insects. Large body size and long serrated stylets for piercing tough and thick skin or hides of hosts suggest that these primitive ectoparasites might have lived on and sucked the blood of relatively large hosts, such as contemporaneous feathered dinosaurs and/or pterosaurs or medium-sized mammals (found in the Early Cretaceous, but not the Middle Jurassic).     

Mesozoic Trachypachidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from China

Abstract: Four well‐preserved beetles, attributed to Eodromeinae within Trachypachidae, are described from the Mesozoic of Inner Mongolia, China. Eodromeus robustus sp. nov., E. daohugouensis sp. nov. and Unda chifengensis sp. nov. are from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou. The diagnostic characters for the two genera are revised, and all species of these genera are keyed. A new genus and species, Sinodromeus liutiaogouensis gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liutiaogou. The current fossil records of Trachypachidae from China are reviewed, and only five species (four described here) can be convincingly attributed to this family. The morphological disparity of Mesozoic Eodromeinae suggests that they evolved a broad spectrum of locomotory lifestyles.     

A LATE MESOZOIC BIRD FROM INNER MONGOLIA

Otogornisgenghisigen.etsp.nov.HolotypePectoralgirdleandwingelements.(IVPPV96O7)HorizonandLocalityYijinhoIuoFormation(EarlyCretaceous);Chaibu-Sumi,otog-qi,Yikezhao-meng,InnerMongolia.DiagnosisAmedium-sizedbird.Longbonesthick-waIled.Acromionofscapulaprotrudingforward.Coracoidwithexpandedheadandbroadp1ate-shapeddistalend.Humerusrelativelystrongandshorterthanradiusandulna,pneumaticfossaabsent,capitalgrooveprominent,deltoidcrestnotdeve1oped,olecrana1fossasha1low,su1cusform.scapu1otricipit…     

Evolutionary scenarios for unusual attachment devices of Phasmatodea and Mantophasmatodea (Insecta)

Abstract.  The distal parts of the legs of representatives of Phasmatodea and Mantophasmatodea were examined. The condition found in Mantophasma zephyra and Timema nevadense is described in detail. In both species the arolium is highly modified, i.e. strongly enlarged and pan-shaped and densely covered with acanthae. The presence of acanthae on the euplantulae is another very unusual feature shared by the two taxa. A cladistic analysis based mainly on a data matrix from an earlier study of the authors was carried out, with the inclusion of three new characters derived from attachment devices. The results suggest three possible evolutionary scenarios for the features in question. If Phasmatodea are the sister group of Mantophasmatodea, the apomorphic features of the attachment devices may be synapomorphies of both groups, with different degrees of reversal within the suborder Euphasmatodea. A branching pattern Phasmatodea + (Mantophasmatodea + Grylloblattodea) is consistent with the presence of an enlarged pan-shaped arolium and euplantulae with acanthae in the common ancestor of this lineage, with reversal in Grylloblattodea and within Euphasmatodea. The acanthae on the surface of the arolium may or may not have evolved independently in Timema . A placement of Phasmatodea as sister taxon of Orthoptera, Dictyoptera, or a clade comprising both groups implies that the features in question have evolved independently in phasmids and Mantophasmatodea.     

New fossil mantidflies (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Mesozoic of north‐eastern China

Abstract:  Three new genera and four new species of the extinct mantidfly subfamily Mesomantispinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning and the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia: Archaeodrepanicus nuddsi gen. et sp. nov., A. acutus gen. et sp. nov., Sinomesomantispa microdentata gen. et sp. nov., (Yixian Formation) and Clavifemora rotundata gen. et sp. nov. (Jiulongshan Formation). The specimens described herein represent the first Mesozoic mantidfly compression fossils to have body parts preserved, including the specialized raptorial forelegs articulated to the prothorax anteriorly, an autapomorphy of the family. These new taxa further confirm the placement of the subfamily Mesomantispinae within the family Mantispidae; however, the monophyly of Mesomantispinae has not been confirmed, and it is likely that it will prove to be paraphyletic.     

Fossil amoebae (Hemiarcherellidae fam. nov.) from Albian (Cretaceous) amber of France

Abstract: Two extraordinarily well‐preserved testate amoebae are described from Late Albian age amber from south‐western France. The specimens are attributed to a new family, the Hemiarcherellidae fam. nov., and are described as Hemiarcherella christellae gen. et sp. nov. The amoebae described herein originate from highly fossiliferous amber pieces. Based on syninclusions, Hemiarcherella christellae was a soil‐dwelling organism, probably an active bacterivore. This taxon represents the third species of testate amoebae described from mid‐Cretaceous French amber. Analysis of this fossil amoeba fauna illustrates the uniqueness of mid‐Cretaceous French amber deposits. Indeed, most amoebae found in amber have been assigned to modern species, corroborating the hypothesis of morphological stasis in different microbial lineages. However, the well‐preserved amoebae fauna found in French amber can be distinguished clearly from modern species and help us to better understand the fossil record of these organisms.     

The Cuticles of Two Fossil Cycads and Epiphytic Fungi

Cuticles of two fossil cycads and seven epiphytic fungi are described in this paper. They are Nilssonia sinensis Yabe et Oishi, Ctenis lyrata Li et Ye; Perisporiacites shaheziensis sp. nov., Notothyrites haizhouensis sp. nov., Microthyriacites pilcatus sp. nov., M. fuxinensis sp. nov., Stigmateacites polymorphus gen. et sp. nov., S. simplex gen. et sp. nov., Liaoningnema multinoda gen. et sp. nov. Materials were collected from the Shahezi Formation of Changtu district and the Haizhou Formation in Haizhou mine-field of Li- aoning Province, China. The age of these tossils is Early Cretaceous.     

Snipe flies (Diptera: Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation (Jurassic), Inner Mongolia,and the systematic position of related records in China

Abstract: Four new species referred to three new genera and one known genus of fossil snipe flies (Family Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation of Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia, north‐eastern China, are described as Daohugorhagio elongatus gen. et sp. nov., Parachrysopilus jurassicus gen. et sp. nov., Sinorhagio sinuatus sp. nov. and Trichorhagio gregarius gen. et sp. nov. These taxa represent only a fraction of the rhagionid assemblage in the Daohugou biota. They contribute towards the high diversity and abundance of snipe flies during the latest Middle Jurassic – earliest Late Jurassic. The diagnosis of Sinorhagio K. Zhang, Yang and Ren, 2006 is revised based on the new results. Many genera and species from the Lower Cretaceous of China have been assigned to Rhagionidae. Most of these do not actually belong to this family: specifically Mesorhagiophryne incerta Hong and Wang, 1990, M. robusta Hong and Wang, 1990, Mesostratiomyia laiyangensis Hong and Wang, 1990, Stratiomyopsis robusta Hong and Wang, 1990, Longhuaia orientalis Hong, Wang and Sun, 1992, Basilorhagio venusius Ren, 1995. Pauromyia oresbia Ren, 1998 is transferred to an archisargid genus as Sharasargus oresbius (Ren, 1998) comb. nov.     

A Remarkable New Family of Jurassic Insects (Neuroptera) with Primitive Wing Venation and Its Phylogenetic Position in Neuropterida

Background

Lacewings (insect order Neuroptera), known in the fossil record since the Early Permian, were most diverse in the Mesozoic. A dramatic variety of forms ranged in that time from large butterfly-like Kalligrammatidae to minute two-winged Dipteromantispidae.

Principal Findings

We describe the intriguing new neuropteran family Parakseneuridae fam. nov. with three new genera and 15 new species from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou (Inner Mongolia, China) and the Early/Middle Jurassic of Sai-Sagul (Kyrgyzstan): Parakseneura undula gen. et sp. nov., P. albomacula gen. et sp. nov., P. curvivenis gen. et sp. nov., P. nigromacula gen. et sp. nov., P. nigrolinea gen. et sp. nov., P. albadelta gen. et sp. nov., P. cavomaculata gen. et sp. nov., P. inflata gen. et sp. nov., P. metallica gen. et sp. nov., P. emarginata gen. et sp. nov., P. directa gen. et sp. nov., Pseudorapisma jurassicum gen. et sp. nov., P. angustipenne gen. et sp. nov., P. maculatum gen. et sp. nov. (Daohugou); Shuraboneura ovata gen. et sp. nov. (Sai-Sagul). The family comprises large neuropterans with most primitive wing venation in the order indicated by the presence of ScA and AA1+2, and the dichotomous branching of MP, CuA, CuP, AA3+4, AP1+2. The phylogenetic position of Parakseneuridae was investigated using a phylogenetic analysis of morphological scoring for 33 families of extinct and extant Neuropterida combined with DNA sequence data for representatives of all extant families. Parakseneuridae were recovered in a clade with Osmylopsychopidae, Prohemerobiidae, and Ithonidae.

Conclusions/Significance

The presence of the presumed AA1+2 in wings of Parakseneuridae is a unique plesiomorphic condition hitherto unknown in Neuropterida, the clade comprising Neuroptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera. The relative uncertainty of phylogenetic position of Parakseneuridae and the majority of other families of Neuroptera reflects deficient paleontological data, especially from critical important periods for the order, earliest Triassic and latest Triassic/earliest Jurassic.     

A new plesiomorphic species of webspinner (Embiodea,Clothodidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

A new Mesozoic webspinner (Embiodea) is described and figured based on a moderately well-preserved male in mid-Cretaceous (earliest Cenomanian) amber from northern Myanmar. Perissoclothoda myrrhokaris gen. et sp. nov. is the second fossil representative of the putatively primitive family Clothodidae. It differs from the Cretaceous and more recent Embiodea in several plesiomorphic characters, namely a quadrate mentum, approximately oval submentum, subgenae not meet medially (thus a ventral bridge or gula is lacking), completely symmetrical terminalia, and dimerous cerci. This new find sheds further light on the diversity and morphological disparity of fossil webspinners during the Late Mesozoic.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:11A49D4A-4042-4AA3-858F-919E1A84B879.     

Review of the stratigraphic distribution of Permian grylloblattida (Insecta), with descriptions of New Taxa

New taxa of grylloblattid insects (Grylloblattida) are described: Tshekardomina mongolica, sp. nov. (Tshekardominidae) from Bor-Tologoi locality (Severodvinian Stage of Mongolia), Permoshurabia mesenensis, gen. et sp. nov. (Geinitziidae) from Soyana fossil site (Kazanian Stage of Arkhangelsk oblast), Khosaridelia vyatica, sp. nov. (Permotermopsidae) from Karaungir II locality (Vyatkian Stage of Kazakhstan), Euremisca kazanica, sp. nov. (Euremiscidae) from Soyana fossil site (Kazanian Stage of Arkhangelsk oblast), Megakhosarina vyaznikensis, sp. nov. (Megakhosaridae) from Balymotikha locality (Vyatkian Stage of Vladimir oblast), and Parascalicia prokopensis, gen. et sp. nov. (Skaliciidae) from Prokop’evsk fossil site (Kazanian Stage of Kemerovo oblast). The genera Lodevopterum Béthoux, Nel, Lapeyrie et Gand, 2005 (Lodève fossil site, France), Elmopterum Béthoux et Beckemeyer, 2007, and Sigmophlebia Béthoux et Beckemeyer, 2007 (Elmo and Midco fossil sites, United States) are transferred from Grylloblattida incertae sedis to families Euremiscidae, Aliculidae, and Tshekardominidae, respectively. The stratigraphic distribution of Permian grylloblattid families is reviewed.     

Modern hydrophilid clades present and widespread in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea: Hydrophilidae)

We present a summary of the fossil evidence documenting the worldwide occurrence of the family Hydrophilidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Hydrophiloidea) in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. We present the first known fossils of the family from the Mesozoic, being c. 100 Myr older than the fossil record available until now. Two Late Jurassic fossils are documented: P rotochares brevipalpis gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Talbragar Fish Bed (New South Wales, Australia) and ‘Mesosperchus’ schultzi Ponomarenko, 1985 from Solnhofen (Bavaria, Germany). The occurrence of the Hydrophilidae in the Early Cretaceous is documented by six species, all of which may be already assigned to modern subfamilies/tribes: B aissalarva hydrobioides gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Baissa outcrops (Buryat Republic, Russia) and C retoxenus australis gen. nov., sp. nov. from Koonwarra outcrops (Victoria, Australia) are both assigned to the tribe Hydrobiusini (Hydrophilinae); A legorius yixianus gen. nov., sp. nov. and Alegorius sp. from the Yixian Formation (Liaoning, China) may represent the Acidocerinae or Enochrinae, H ydroyixia elongata gen. nov., sp. nov. and H . latissima sp. nov. from the same locality are assigned to the Acidocerinae. The phylogenetic position of Baissalarva hydrobioides is also tested by a phylogenetic analysis. The presence of extant clades (Hydrophilinae: Hydrobiusini, Acidocerinae) in the Early Cretaceous and the wide distribution of the Hydrobiusini in both Gondwana and Laurasia at the same time suggests that the principal extant clades of the Hydrophilidae are at least of Early–Middle Jurassic origin. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

A New Japygid Dipluran from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil

The first Mesozoic japygid (Hexapoda: Diplura), Ferrojapyx vivax gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Crato Formation of north-east Brazil. There are only two previously described occurrences of japygids in the fossil record: in Miocene or Pliocene onyx marble from Arizona and from the Carboniferous (Westphalian D) Francis Creek Shale of Mazon Creek, Illinois.     

Functional morphology and neuronal innervation of the prothoracic defence gland in Timema

Timema is the most basal genus of Phasmatodea and the sister group to the remaining stick and leaf-insects (Euphasmatodea). An autapomorphy of all phasmids is the paired prothoracic exocrine defence glands. In this study, the anatomy and innervation of the defence glands in Timema petita and Timema chumash are described and compared with the data on Euphasmatodea. In all phasmids, the glands consist of a cuticular epithelium, a secretory epithelium and muscular fibres that compress the lumen. In Timematodea, the muscular part of the gland is less developed than in Euphasmatodea and the ejection of the defence secretion depends on the dorsal longitudinal neck muscles. On the neuroanatomical level, Timema petita and Timema chumash lack neurons that are involved in the independent contraction of the gland in euphasmids. In both studied species of Timema, neck muscles play an active role in the gland function which is not observed in any other phasmid. Considering the basal position of this genus, this supports the hypothesis that in euphasmids, the muscular part of the gland evolved from the dorsal longitudinal neck muscles. Additionally, the same nerves that innervate the dorsal longitudinal neck muscles in all Polyneoptera also innervate the defence glands in phasmids.     

New jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and similar beetles from the Cretaceous and Early Paleogene of Asia

A new genus and two new species of jewel beetles are described, Andakhudukia ponomarenkoi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Metabuprestium ustkivdense sp. nov. from the lowermost Paleogene of the Amur Region. In addition, four new monotypic genera that share some features with jewel beetles are described: Cretoelaterium kazanovense gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Eastern Transbaikalia and Cretopoena gratshevi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia have been referred to the families Elateridae and Eucnemidae; Cretofalselaterium baiankhongoricum gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Cretogermen turonicum gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Cretaceous of Kazakhstan have been erected for isolated elytra and placed in Coleoptera incertae sedis.