New Ephialtitidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Jurassic Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia,China

Five new species are described from the Middle–Upper Jurassic Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China, and assigned to the genus Karataus Rasnitsyn, 1977 in the subfamily Symphytopterinae of Ephialtitidae. They are illustrated as Karataus daohugouensis n. sp., K. strenuus n. sp., K. vigoratus n. sp., K. exilis n. sp., and K. orientalis n. sp., and a key to species of Karataus is presented.     

Composition and age of the Daohugou hymenopteran (Insecta, Hymenoptera = Vespida) assemblage from Inner Mongolia, China

Hymenopteran fossils from Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China are assigned to 17 families. These include, in decreasing order of importance, Ephialtitidae, Xyelidae, Siricidae, Xyelydidae, Anaxyelidae, Karatavitidae s.l ., Mesoserphidae, Megalyridae and Praeaulacidae. Analysis of the taxonomic composition suggests that the assemblage is of Mid Jurassic age. The rather low abundance of Xyelidae suggests that the climate in Daohugou during the Mid Jurassic might have been thermally intermediate between that of peri-Baikal Siberia during the Early/Mid Jurassic transition and southern Kazakhstan during the early Late Jurassic. A new family, Protosiricidae fam. nov., is established herein and the family Gigasiricidae is reduced in rank to Gigasiricinae and referred to the Siricidae.     

Sperm ultrastructure and spermiogenesis of Coniopterygidae (Neuroptera, Insecta)

The spermiogenesis and the sperm ultrastructure of several species of Coniopterygidae have been examined. The spermatozoa consist of a three-layered acrosome, an elongated elliptical nucleus, a long flagellum provided with a 9+9+3 axoneme and two mitochondrial derivatives. No accessory bodies were observed. The axoneme exhibits accessory microtubules provided with 13, rather than 16, protofilaments in their tubular wall; the intertubular material is reduced and distributed differently from that observed in other Neuropterida. Sperm axoneme organization supports the isolated position of the family previously proposed on the basis of morphological data.     

云南省粉蛉两新种记述（脉翅目：粉蛉科）

记述云南省脉翅目粉岭科2新种：奇斑曲粉岭Coniocom psa spectabilis Liu et yang,sp.nov和丫重粉蛉Semidalis ypsilon Liu et Yang,sp.nov。。模式标本均保存在中国农业大学昆虫标本馆。     

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.     

A new genus of the family Panfiloviidae (Insecta,Neuroptera) from the Middle Jurassic of China

Abstract: Epipanfilovia oviformis gen. et sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Panfiloviidae) is described from the Middle Jurassic locality of Daohugou (Inner Mongolia, China) based on six specimens. A revised diagnosis of this family is provided. It includes two genera, Panfilovia Makarkin and Epipanfilovia gen. nov.; Osmylogramma Ponomarenko is removed from the family. Panfiloviidae is most closely related to another Jurassic family Grammolingiidae, and both are provisionally assigned to the superfamily Osmyloidea.     

Unconventional ultraviolet sensitivity spectra of Ascalaphus (Insecta,Neuroptera)

The spectral sensitivity of 21 eye preparations of Ascalaphus (Libelluloides) macaronius (Insecta, Neuroptera) has been re-measured using an up-to-date spectral scan method. 1. Dorso-frontal and ventro-lateral eyes have different spectral characteristics with peaks of sensitivity at 329 ± 8 nm (n = 15) and 343 ± 4 nm (n = 5) (P = 0.002), respectively. 2. The absorbance of the visual pigment layer, K, determined from the shape of the spectral sensitivity curves is 1.3 ± 1.8(n = 15) for dorso-frontal eyes and – 1.0 ± 0.3(n = 5) for ventrolateral eyes, thus implying higher selfscreening in the dorso-frontal eyes and narrowing of the spectral sensitivity curves as regards to a template visual pigment in ventro-lateral eyes. 3. Plotting K versus spectral sensitivity peak wavelength _max revealed an inverse correlation between these variables with K = 42.5 – 0.126 _max at r = 0.88(n = 19). 4. Extracts of ommochromes and carotenoids (Figs. 4 to 6) do not allow to account for the above diversity of optical properties of the Ascalaphus eye (Fig. 7).Abbreviations SSC spectral sensitivity curve - DF dorso-frontal eye - UV ultraviolet - VL ventro-lateral eye     

New records and new synonyms of antlions (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) from China

The antlions from the subfamilies Nemoleontinae and Myrmecaelurinae deposited in the Entomological Museum of the China Agricultural University (CAU) belong to 16 species, among which 11 are recorded for China for the first time. Four species with mostly Oriental distribution are recorded for the first time from the northern localities in Palaearctic China. The Dzungarian faunistic center of antlions with two species recently described from Turan is distinguished. Some species characteristic of Mongolia were found in adjacent China. Occurrence in China of three species, collected by Russian expeditions 100 years ago, is confirmed. Five species described by Yang from China have been synonymized with widely distributed species.     

Three distinct but rare kovalevisargid flies from the Jurassic Daohugou biota,China (Insecta,Diptera, Brachycera,Kovalevisargidae)

Abstract: Three nearly complete male specimens of kovalevisargid flies are described as Kovalevisargus macropterus sp. nov., K. brachypterus sp. nov. and Kerosargus sororius sp. nov. (family Kovalevisargidae) from the Callovian–Oxfordian Daohugou biota in Inner Mongolia, China. These extend the range of the family Kovalevisargidae outside of Central Asia for the first time, reveal new morphological details about kovalevisargid flies and offer new evidence for the biostratigraphic correlation of nonmarine sedimentary strata of both the Karabastau and Daohugou Formations. Close similarities in the composition of insect taxa from both entomofaunas imply not only the geological age but also the sedimentary environment at that time being the same, or nearly so. Familial and generic diagnoses of kovalevisargid flies are supplemented based on information derived from these new species.     

The first find of chrysomelids (Insecta: Coleopetra: Chrysomeloidea) from Callovian-Oxfordian Daohugou biota of China

Tarsomegamerus mesozoicus nov. gen., nov. sp., an almost complete specimen of leaf beetle from the Callovian-Oxfordian of Daohugou Formation in Inner Mongolia, China is described. Tarsomegamerus mesozoicus is assigned to the Protoscelinae (Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera). This new leaf beetle represents the first record of chrysomeloids from Mesozoic of China and it extends the geographical distribution of Protoscelinae from central Asia into eastern Asia. This find provides new fossil material for studying the origin and evolution of Chrysomeloidea and by making a stratigraphic correlation of the correlative non-marine sedimentary rocks. Although the age of the Daohugou Formation is debatable it is most likely Callovian-Oxfordian (latest Middle Jurassic-earliest Late Jurassic) rather than early Middle Jurassic (late Aalenian-early Bajocian) or Early Cretaceous.     

New archisargids from China (Insecta: Diptera)

The extinct family Archisargidae, which was rich in the Mesozoic, has been found in China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. By now, six genera and 14 species have been found in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Province of China. In this paper, two new species of the genus Mesosolva Hong, 1983 and a new genus Brevisolva gen. nov., represented by a new species belonging to the Archisargidae, are described from the Middle Jurassic deposits of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia. A key to the species of Mesosolva is given.     

Chromosome numbers in antlions (Myrmeleontidae) and owlflies (Ascalaphidae) (Insecta,Neuroptera)

A short review of main cytogenetic features of insects belonging to the sister neuropteran families Myrmeleontidae (antlions) and Ascalaphidae (owlflies) is presented, with a particular focus on their chromosome numbers and sex chromosome systems. Diploid male chromosome numbers are listed for 37 species, 21 genera from 9 subfamilies of the antlions as well as for seven species and five genera of the owlfly subfamily Ascalaphinae. The list includes data on five species whose karyotypes were studied in the present work. It is shown here that antlions and owlflies share a simple sex chromosome system XY/XX; a similar range of chromosome numbers, 2n = 14-26 and 2n = 18-22 respectively; and a peculiar distant pairing of sex chromosomes in male meiosis. Usually the karyotype is particularly stable within a genus but there are some exceptions in both families (in the genera Palpares and Libelloides respectively). The Myrmeleontidae and Ascalaphidae differ in their modal chromosome numbers. Most antlions exhibit 2n = 14 and 16, and Palparinae are the only subfamily characterized by higher numbers, 2n = 22, 24, and 26. The higher numbers, 2n = 20 and 22, are also found in owlflies. Since the Palparinae represent a basal phylogenetic lineage of the Myrmeleontidae, it is hypothesized that higher chromosome numbers are ancestral for antlions and were inherited from the common ancestor of Myrmeleontidae + Ascalaphidae. They were preserved in the Palparinae (Myrmeleontidae), but changed via chromosomal fusions toward lower numbers in other subfamilies.     

Ultrastructural studies on euspermatozoa and paraspermatozoa in Mantispidae (Insecta, Neuroptera)

Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of sperm dimorphism in the Mantispidae Perlamantispa perla. We extended the study on several other mantidflies. In all the examined species the occurrence of euspermatozoa (typical) and paraspermatozoa (atypical) was established. The euspermatozoa are characterized by the presence of a cylindrical nucleus surrounded by an envelope that fans out laterally into two thin wings of different length. The acrosome seems to be missing. The nucleus is surrounded by extracellular material. The flagellum is provided with a 9 + 9 + 2 axonemal pattern; the accessory tubules contain 16 protofilaments and the intertubular material has the distribution typical of the taxon. Two elongated accessory bodies flank partially the axoneme and connect this structure with the mitochondrial derivatives. The flagellar axoneme of paraspermatozoa consists of an axoneme and two giant mitochondrial derivatives filled with large globular units. The axoneme exhibits a 9 + 9 + 2 pattern, in which the central 9 + 2 units have a normal structure, in that the microtubular doublets are provided with both dynein arms and radial links. On the contrary, the nine accessory microtubules have a large diameter and their tubular wall consists of 40 protofilaments. This comparative study provided evidences about the uniformity of sperm ultrastructure in Mantispidae. The function of non-fertilizing giant sperm in mantidflies is discussed.     

Jurassic lacewings (Insecta: Neuroptera) of Western Siberia

A lacewing assemblage from the Middle Jurassic of the West Siberian Kubekovo locality, the only know Jurassic lacewing fauna of Russia, is discussed. One new genus and two new species of Osmylidae from Kubekovo, Kubekius multiramosus gen. et sp. nov. and Epiosmylus longus sp. nov. are described. Thaumatomerobius mirabilis Ponomarenko, 1985 is transferred to the family Saucrosmylidae, which has only been recorded in the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou.     

“中生代的蝴蝶”——脉翅目丽蛉类昆虫

丽蛉类昆虫是脉翅目昆虫在中生代特有的一类绝灭昆虫,被誉为"中生代的蝴蝶",其体型巨大、脉序复杂,部分身体特征高度特化,与现代脉翅目昆虫表现出明显的差异,而其在脉翅目演化中的地位也是一直难以确定。同时,由于化石保存的局限性,该类昆虫多是依靠不完整的结构进行分类,缺少系统的总结和修订,也为该类群的深入研究带来了很大的困难。本文对中生代丽蛉类昆虫进行了总结,统计了至今全世界所发现的所有丽蛉类昆虫名录,概述了其研究历史,地质年代及地理分布,系统发育研究进展,功能形态学研究及生态学特性等问题,并提出了研究该类群有待解决的问题及研究展望。     

Neotropical Osmylidae larvae (Insecta,Neuroptera): description of habitats and morphology

ABSTRACT

The larval stages of the genus Kempynus Navás, 1912 Navás, L. (1912), ‘Insectos neurópteros nuevos o poco conocidos’, Memorias de la Real Academia de Ciencias y Artes de Barcelona, 10, 135–202. [Google Scholar] (probably K. falcatus Navás, 1912 Navás, L. (1912), ‘Insectos neurópteros nuevos o poco conocidos’, Memorias de la Real Academia de Ciencias y Artes de Barcelona, 10, 135–202. [Google Scholar] based on the presence of synchronic and sympatric adults) are described for the Neotropical Region for the first time, and the larval stages of Isostenosmylus pulverulentus (Gerstaecker, 1893 Gerstaecker, C.E.A. (1893), ‘Ueber neue und weniger gekannte Neuropteren aus der familie Megaloptera Burm’, Mitt[h]eilungen aus dem Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein für Neu-Vorpommern und Rugen, 25, 93–173. [Google Scholar]) are redescribed. The external morphology of third-instar larvae of both species and their habitats are described and compared. Kempynus sp. is a water-dependent species and can be considered semi-aquatic, whereas I. pulverulentus larvae are terrestrial and live in undergrowth vegetation. The first key to identification of Neotropical Osmylidae larvae is provided, based on third-instar larvae of both species.