Fossils from the Middle Jurassic of China shed light on morphology of Choristopsychidae (Insecta,Mecoptera) |
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Authors: | Xiao Qiao Chung Kun Shih Julian F Petrulevi?ius Ren Dong |
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Institution: | 1.Key Lab of Insect Evolution & Environmental Change, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China ; 2.Museo de La Plata, División Paleozoología Invertebrados - UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n, La Plata (1900), and CONICET, Argentina |
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Abstract: | Choristopsychidae, established by Martynov in 1937 with a single isolated forewing, is a little known extinct family in Mecoptera. Since then, no new members of this enigmatic family have been described. Based on 23 well-preserved specimens with complete body and wings from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China, we report one new genus and three new species of Choristopsychidae, two new species of the genus Choristopsyche Martynov, 1937: Choristopsyche perfecta
sp. n. and Choristopsyche asticta
sp. n.; one new species of Paristopsyche
gen. n.: Paristopsyche angelineae
sp. n.; and re-describe Choristopsyche tenuinervis Martynov, 1937. In addition, we emend the diagnoses of Choristopsychidae and Choristopsyche. Analyzing the forewing length/width ratios of representative species in Mecoptera, we confirm that choristopsychids have the lowest ratio of forewing length/width, meaning broadest forewings. These findings, the first fossil choristopsychids with well-preserved body structure and the first record of Choristopsychidae in China, shed light on the morphology of these taxa and broaden their distribution from Tajikistan to China, while increasing the diversity of Mesozoic Mecoptera in China. |
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Keywords: | Mecoptera Choristopsychidae new genus new species Middle Jurassic China |
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