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Aeshna caseneuvensis sp. nov., the second oldest representative of the genus Aeshna, is described and figured from the lowermost Oligocene of Luberon in southeastern France. The oldest described species in this genus is from the uppermost Eocene of Colorado in USA. Their occurrence in very distant areas in an interval of time of less of five millions years strongly suggests that the genus is older, possibly appearing during the middle Eocene, as it is still unknown in the early Eocene odonate faunas. The specimen could be studied thanks to a technique of photograph under UV light newly developed by one of us (RG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While not generally used for relatively flat structures, X‐ray microtomography can provide decisive insights for comparative anatomy and evolutionary studies of flat structures, thereby solving long‐standing ecological and evolutionary issues. This is particularly true for the study of insect wings, organs that have played a central role in the evolution and ecological success of insects, the first organisms to develop powered flight.We present the challenges inherent in studying insect wings by microtomography, as well as solutions to overcome them. We highlight the impact of insect preparation (i.e. dry or ethanol‐preserved specimens, complete specimens or only part of the wings, wings stained with iodine or with a 0.3% solution of phosphotungtic acid—PTA) and of the acquisition mode (phase contrast or not), on scan quality and ease of interpretation. We compare our results with those obtained by more 'traditional' techniques, based on examination of the wings with a binocular or SEM microscope.We show that X‐ray microtomography is effective in establishing vein homologies—a crucial step in many evolutionary studies in insects—by accessing the internal structures of the wing base itself, where veins originate. It can also be used for difficult tasks such as distinguishing between crossveins and main veins, establishing vein polarity (i.e. concave vs. convex veins) or vein fusions, situations that complicate the establishment of vein homology hypotheses and the completion of subsequent evolutionary studies. Unstained, ethanol‐preserved specimens give the least conclusive results, while dry specimens and ethanol‐preserved wings stained with PTA give the best results.We show that 3D tools provide crucial insights for the study of insect wings, illustrating how CT‐scan tools may contribute to a change in dimension, introducing quantification and functional approaches and hopefully stimulating new studies for other seemingly 2D organs in several other fields, including plant studies. We highlight, nonetheless, that this tool must be used in coordination with more traditional observational techniques, at least for insect wings, to provide a more complete picture of these fundamental organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of the archaeorthopteran order Caloneurodea are described and illustrated from the Salagou Formation (France) as Lodevogramma pumilia gen. et sp. nov. The particular wing venation of this species precludes its placement within one of the already described families of Caloneurodea. Consequently, the family Lodevogrammatidae fam. nov. is created to accommodate this specimen. A detailed comparison of the new species with other Caloneurodea is provided. This new species differs from all other Caloneurodea because it has: petiolate wings; the area between C and R/RA is very narrow; vein RA ends near the wing apex; vein RP has two branches; the fork of CuP basad the base of M; and two very short anal veins are present. This new species increases the diversity of Caloneurodea in the Salagou Formation and provides additional information on the diversity of the order around the late Capitanian extinction. We compared the diversity of Caloneurodea with that of Megasecoptera, another order with a similar history between the Carboniferous and the Permian, and hypothesized that the decrease in the size of both groups could be an indicator of their declines, possibly related to floral changes, following a pattern similar to that of Permian tetrapods. The decline of Caloneurodea could also be related to the diversification of the Orthoptera during the middle–late Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afrozygopteron inexpectatus gen. et sp. nov., the oldest known representative of the protozygopteran grade from Gondwana, is described from the Guadalupian of Southern Africa. It is attributed to the family Luiseiidae, previously only known by one genus and species, Luiseia breviata described from the Carboniferous/Permian boundary of New Mexico (USA). This new fossil demonstrates that during the Carboniferous/Permian, the Protozygoptera were probably much more widely distributed than previously thought and were not limited to the northern part of Pangea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afropereboria magnifica gen. et sp. nov., is the oldest African representative of the Permian "cicada-like" family Pereboriidae. The family diagnosis is discussed and emended. Synapomorphic characters of the Pereboriidae are proposed. The two genera Jifara and Scytophara are excluded from this family, confirming that Pereboriidae are strictly Permian. The relationships between the two Permian families Pereboriidae and Ignotalidae and the Triassic Curvicubitidae are still not clear and will need a phylogenetic analysis. We propose new putatively apomorphic diagnostic characters for the Pereboriidae. We also discuss some characters supposed to discriminate the Pereboriidae from the Ignotalidae. The Permian Pereboriidae had a disjunctive distribution between the northern and southern parts of Pangea, under cool temperate climates, separated by the intertropical zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afropereboria magnifica gen. et sp. nov., is the oldest African representative of the Permian "cicada-like" family Pereboriidae. The family diagnosis is discussed and emended. Synapomorphic characters of the Pereboriidae are proposed. The two genera Jifara and Scytophara are excluded from this family, confirming that Pereboriidae are strictly Permian. The relationships between the two Permian families Pereboriidae and Ignotalidae and the Triassic Curvicubitidae are still not clear and will need a phylogenetic analysis. We propose new putatively apomorphic diagnostic characters for the Pereboriidae. We also discuss some characters supposed to discriminate the Pereboriidae from the Ignotalidae. The Permian Pereboriidae had a disjunctive distribution between the northern and southern parts of Pangea, under cool temperate climates, separated by the intertropical zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Two new representatives of the blattinopsid genus Glaphyrophlebia, from the Gzhelian of Southern France and Spain, respectively, are described and illustrated. They suggest that the diversity of this genus began to increase during the latest Carboniferous, possibly in relation to the climatic changes occurring at that time. Glaphyrophlebia victoiriensis sp. nov. (Paoliida: Blattinopsidae) is the third Gzhelian representative of the genus and is described based on a beautiful forewing from the Var department in Southern France. Together with the description of another forewing fragment of a Glaphyrophlebia sp. from the Province of León in NW Spain, they improve our knowledge of fossil insects from French and Spanish upper Carboniferous deposits. The specimen of Glaphyrophlebia sp. is the first mention of the family in the Carboniferous of Spain and extends the geographical distribution of the genus. These descriptions suggest that the genus Glaphyrophlebia was speciose during the Upper Pennsylvanian, while otherwise very diverse in the lower and middle Permian strata of the Russian Federation. We proposed the first hypothesis to explain the diversification of the family and of its most speciose genera and to argue that their diversity dynamics were likely linked with the major environmental changes that followed the collapse of the Carboniferous rainforest, notably the extension of arid biomes during the Permian period. The exquisite preservation and the fineness of the sediment from Tante Victoire, in which the new species was found, suggests that the locality is suitable for preserving other fossil insects and will require additional investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continental ecosystems of the middle Permian Period (273–259 million years ago) are poorly understood. In South Africa, the vertebrate fossil record is well documented for this time interval, but the plants and insects are virtually unknown, and are rare globally. This scarcity of data has hampered studies of the evolution and diversification of life, and has precluded detailed reconstructions and analyses of ecosystems of this critical period in Earth's history. Here we introduce a new locality in the southern Karoo Basin that is producing exceptionally well-preserved and abundant fossils of novel freshwater and terrestrial insects, arachnids, and plants. Within a robust regional geochronological, geological and biostratigraphic context, this Konservat- and Konzentrat-Lagerstätte offers a unique opportunity for the study and reconstruction of a southern Gondwanan deltaic ecosystem that thrived 266–268 million years ago, and will serve as a high-resolution ecological baseline towards a better understanding of Permian extinction events. A new middle Permian fossil locality featuring a large abundance of exceptionally preserved plants and insects is identified in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dictyoneurid insect, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. from the Latest Ghzelian – Asselian basin of Graissessac (Hérault, France) is described in details. It is represented by a well-preserved specimen with wings of 32–35 mm long and 13–14 mm wide and other peculiar diagnostic characters such an MP with four branches and a CuP with three branches. As all the other Dictyoneura species are known from the Namurian and/or the Wesphalian, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. is the youngest representative of the genus. It is also the first record of the order Palaeodictyoptera from the Graissessac basin. The Carboniferous-Permian palaeodictyopterans are well-known to have lived in rather humid swamp forests. The global warming and drying of the climate during the Permian and/or the rise of potential predators may be responsible of their extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Klebsiella Meunier, 1908 from the latest Carboniferous of Commentry, is revised, confirming its attribution to the Blattinopsidae. The family name Klebsiellidae should have priority on its junior synonym Blattinopsidae, but the common usage over time could allow maintaining the later. The first Blattinopsidae from the Moscovian Konservat–lagerstätte of Avion is described as a new genus and species Avionblattinopsis oudardi gen. et n. sp. on the basis of a single forewing. It differs from the other genera of this family in the vein ScP distally fused to the vein RA. It increases our knowledge about this family, known between the Late Carboniferous and the Middle Permian. An emended family diagnosis is proposed. Protoblattiniella minutissima Meunier, 1912, based on a mature nymph would better fit with the Paoliidae than with the Blattinopsidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full body impressions and resting traces of Hexapoda can be of extreme importance because they bring crucial information on behavior and locomotion of the trace makers, and help to better define trophic relationships with other organisms (predators or preys). However, these ichnofossils are much rarer than trackways, especially for winged insects. Here we describe a new full-body impression of a winged insect from the Middle Permian of Gonfaron (Var, France) whose preservation is exceptional. The elongate body with short prothorax and legs and long wings overlapping the body might suggests a plant mimicry as for some extant stick insects. These innovations are probably in relation with an increasing predation pressure by terrestrial vertebrates, whose trackways are abundant in the same layers. This discovery would possibly support the recent age estimates for the appearance of phasmatodean-like stick insects, nearly 30 million years older than the previous putative records. The new exquisite specimen is fossilized on a slab with weak ripple-marks, suggesting the action of microbial mats favoring the preservation of its delicate structures. Further prospections in sites with this type of preservation could enrich our understanding of early evolutionary history of insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Caledonia was, until recently, considered an old continental island harbouring a rich biota with outstanding Gondwanan relicts. However, deep marine sedimentation and tectonic evidence suggest complete submergence of the island during the latest Cretaceous to the Paleocene. Molecular phylogenies provide evidence for some deeply-diverging clades that may predate the Eocene and abundant post-Oligocene colonisation events. Extinction and colonization biases, as well as survival of some groups in refuges on neighbouring paleo-islands, may have obscured biogeographic trends over long time scales. Fossil data are therefore crucial for understanding the history of the New Caledonian biota, but occurrences are sparse and have received only limited attention. Here we describe five exceptional fossil assemblages that provide important new insights into New Caledonia's terrestrial paleobiota from three key time intervals: prior to the submersion of the island, following re-emergence, and prior to Pleistocene climatic shifts. These will be of major importance for elucidating changes in New Caledonia's floristic composition over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to illustrate distribution of semiaquatic bug species in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles), as there is still little knowledge about the biodiversity of the island's mangroves. In addition to Limnogonus franciscanus Stål, 1859 and Rheumatobates imitator Uhler, 1894, four species are newly reported for Guadeloupe: Brachymetra albinerva Amyot and Servilles, 1843, Rhagovelia plumbea Uhler, 1894, Rheumatobates mangrovensis China, 2009 and R. trinitatis China, 2009 based on taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses. For all recorded species, we provide detailed data on their ecology and distribution in the region of the investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest Eocene Eochauliops longicornisgen. et sp. n., first fossil Malcidae, is described from the amber of Oise (France). Together with the previous discovery of a species of Blissidae in the same amber, it suggests that the Lygaeoidea were already rather diverse during the Palaeocene, even if the Mesozoic record of this superfamily remains uncertain and scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new family, five new genera, and nine new species of fossil damselflies (Insecta, Odonata, Zygoptera, Calopterygida) from the USA are described, seven from the Eocene Fossil Lake deposits and one from Lake Uinta deposits, both from the Green River Formation, and an additional specimen from the Wind River Formation of Wyoming and Colorado. Namely, Carlea eocenica gen. et sp. nov. (in Carleidae fam. nov.), Labandeiraia riveri sp. nov., Labandeiraia browni sp. nov., Eodysphaea magnifica gen. et sp. nov., Litheuphaea sp. cf. coloradensis Petrulevičius et al., 2007, Zacallites cockerelli sp. nov., Dysagrion integrum sp. nov., Tenebragrion shermani gen. et sp. nov., Tynskysagrion brookeae gen. et sp. nov., and Oreodysagrion tenebris gen. et sp. nov. Epallagoidea and Amphipterygoidea are most common while Calopterygoidea, Coenagrionoidae and Lestoidea damselflies are less diverse. Genera of zygopteran Dysagrionidae are known from Europe and North America, further supporting the hypothesis of Palaeogene terrestrial interchange. Representatives of Epallagoidea and Amphipterygoidea in the Green River Formation confirm that warm conditions occurred at the time of deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic communication is well-known in insects since the Mesozoic, but earlier evidence of this behavior is rare. Titanoptera, an 'orthopteroid' Permian-Triassic order, is one of the few candidates for Paleozoic intersex calling interactions: some specimens had highly specialized broadened zones on the forewings, which are currently considered—despite inconclusive evidence—as 'resonators' of a stridulatory apparatus. Here we argue that the stridulatory apparatus hypothesis is unlikely because the Titanoptera lack a stridulatory file on their bodies, legs or wings. Instead, comparing these broadened zones with similar structures in extant locusts, flies, and fossil damselflies, we find evidence that the Titanoptera used their wings to produce flashes of light and/or crepitated sounds. Moreover, we describe the first Carboniferous (~310 Mya) Titanoptera, which exhibits such specialized zones, thus corresponding to the oldest record of wing communication in insects. Whether these communication systems were used to attract sexual partners and/or escape predators remain to be demonstrated. Schubnel, Nel and colleagues present the first Carboniferous representative of Titanoptera, Theiatitan azari. Specially modified wing zones suggest that Titanoptera were capable of wing-based communication using light or sound, as seen in modern species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eochauliops longicornisgen. et sp. n., first fossil Malcidae, is described from the lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France). Together with the previous discovery of a Blissidae in the same amber, it suggests that the Lygaeoidea were already rather diverse during the Palaeocene, even if the Mesozoic record of this superfamily remains uncertain and scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limoniid fly Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pouilloni n. sp. Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, is the first fossil insect to be described from Sumatra. On the basis of its wing morphology and venation, it is very similar to the extant Sumatran species Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pennipes (Osten Sacken, 1888), supporting a Miocene rather than older age for the amber. By comparison with the few available data on the biology of the extant species of the subgenus Mongoma, it probably lived in a warm and humid forest where it was trapped in dipterocarpacean resin. The wide Cenozoic distribution of the subgenus Mongoma in Europe and South-East Asia is in accordance with its extant circumtropical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orthopteran fauna of the Paleocene of Menat Formation (France) is revised. It comprises at least 12 species in the following clades: Grylloidea (an undescribed species, Menatgryllus longixiphus gen. et sp. nov.); Tettigoniidae (Prophasgonura lineatocollis); Elcanidae (Cenoelcanus menatensis gen. et sp. nov.); two Eumastacoidea (Paleochina duvergeri gen. et sp. nov. and Paleochina minuta sp. nov., tentatively placed in the extant family Chorotypidae). These two last taxa are compared to the other described fossil Eumastacoidea. As all these Eumastacoidea are represented by tegmina or hindwings, their previous attributions to the Eumastacidae sensu stricto are questionable. All previously described fossil Caelifera from Menat are considered of uncertain position. Those that were previously considered as Acridoidea are excluded from this clade. In consequence, the oldest described Acridoidea are Oligocene, at the time of diversification of the grasses on which these insects predominantly live, in accordance with the most recent molecular dating of the Acrididae. Cenoelcanus menatensis is the youngest and first Cenozoic representative of the Mesozoic Elcanidae, showing that this family survived the Cretaceous--Paleocene extinction and became extinct during the Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand insect evolution, fossils – mainly known by their wings – must be used as terminals in phylogenetic analyses. Such analyses are, however, rarely performed because of a lack of consensus on the homology of venation in insects. Researchers do not agree with the current concept on the exact number and identity of the main veins. Here, we confirm the presence, which has been in question since the early 20th century, of an independent main postcubital vein (PCu vein) between the cubital and anal veins (29 fossil and extant examined orders; > 85% of observed insects). The PCu vein corresponds to the so‐called vein 1A or first anal vein. It is easily identified by the unique shape of its bulla. It may have several branches and be partially fused with the cubital and anal veins. Once the PCu vein was identified, we reconsidered as an example the particular case of the Phasmatodea, showing that extant stick insects have a unique venation among insects, with a reduced median vein and a simple cubital vein adjacent or fused to the PCu vein. This study is a new approach towards resolving wing vein homology issues, crucial for future large‐scale phylogenetic analyses in insects combining extant and extinct taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orthopteran fauna of the Paleocene of Menat Formation (France) is revised. It comprises at least 12 species in the following clades: Grylloidea (an undescribed species, Menatgryllus longixiphus gen. et sp. nov.); Tettigoniidae (Prophasgonura lineatocollis); Elcanidae (Cenoelcanus menatensis gen. et sp. nov.); two Eumastacoidea (Paleochina duvergeri gen. et sp. nov. and Paleochina minuta sp. nov., tentatively placed in the extant family Chorotypidae). These two last taxa are compared to the other described fossil Eumastacoidea. As all these Eumastacoidea are represented by tegmina or hindwings, their previous attributions to the Eumastacidae sensu stricto are questionable. All previously described fossil Caelifera from Menat are considered of uncertain position. Those that were previously considered as Acridoidea are excluded from this clade. In consequence, the oldest described Acridoidea are Oligocene, at the time of diversification of the grasses on which these insects predominantly live, in accordance with the most recent molecular dating of the Acrididae. Cenoelcanus menatensis is the youngest and first Cenozoic representative of the Mesozoic Elcanidae, showing that this family survived the Cretaceous-Paleocene extinction and became extinct during the Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on description of the new species Cacurgus avionensis sp. nov., the genus Cacurgus and the family Cacurgidae are revised, excluded from Gerarida, and restored in Panorthoptera. Cacurgidae are restricted to the single genus Cacurgus. Protodictyon pulchripenne is redescribed, excluded from Cacurgidae, and put in the archaeorthopteran stem group of the Panorthoptera. We restore two genera, Kochopteron and Protoblattina, in Paoliidae. The genera Suksunus, Ideliopsis and Kitshuga, currently placed in Cacurgidae, are not Archaeorthoptera but Polyneoptera of uncertain positions, to be revised in the future. The type genus Eoblatta of the family Eoblattidae and of the superorder Eoblattida, is also restored to Archaeorthoptera. The whole set of Eoblattida taxa needs complete revision based on accurate homologies of wing venation. Lastly, Aviologus is excluded from 'Cnemidolestina' and restored to Archaeorthoptera. Westphalopsocus is restored in the Acercaria: Psocodea. We propose Paleoischnoptera nom. nov. as a replacement name for Ischnoptera Béthoux & Nel, 2005 (non Ischnoptera Burmeister, 1838). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four 'routes', Beringian, De Geer, Thulean and Turgai Strait, are currently considered to explain Cenozoic continental interchanges between Eurasia and North America. These 'routes' had a crucial importance for vertebrates and insects. While vertebrates are not infrequent in these zones, there is very little direct evidence of insects to date the migrations and justify particular 'routes'. A 'route' is generally chosen on the basis of indirect evidence, such as molecular dating of clades. Alaska, on the Beringian 'route', is especially poor in fossil insects. Here we describe the first two Paleocene–Eocene insects from the Chickaloon Formation in Alaska, viz. Basiaeschna alaskaensis sp. nov., the first accurate fossil of this extant Nearctic aeshnid genus, and a representative of the extinct damselfly family Dysagrionidae, distributed in the Palaeogene of Eurasia and North America. These fossils provide direct evidence of the role of Beringia as a land bridge for insects during the Palaeogene. They are also evidence for a warm temperate climate in Alaska during this period of global warmth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trueman and Rowe (2019) claimed that they have finally solved the wing venation homologies for the Odonatoptera, refuting the previous models, and especially that of Riek and Kukalová-Peck (1984). Nevertheless, their proposal has several failures, viz. nature of the distal part of their "anal vein", nature of the "MA", and incongruence with recent results obtained by Jacquelin et al. (2018) on the morphology of the extreme wing base. Currently the only pattern of venation in total accordance with the known data is that of Riek and Kukalová-Peck (1984), as modified in Nel et al. (1993) and Jacquelin et al. (2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oligocene Oligopipiza quadriguttata Nidergras, Hadrava, and Nel gen. et sp. nov. is the first fossil Pipizinae found in the lacustrine outcrop of Céreste (South-East of France). It differs from the other Pipizinae in the male genitalia, with a surstylus without tooth and shorter than epandrium, and a long epandrium with a very deep and narrow median theca. It is compared to other extant and fossil Pipizinae. Its position in this clade is supported by its inclusion in previous morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Syrphidae. Palaeoecological inferences for the paleobiota of Céreste are made based on this taxon and point to the presence of a mixed forest. The taphonomy of these flies is discussed. They were probably embedded in surface microbial mats. The pollinator role of Oligopipiza quadriguttata is also discussed on the basis of the presence of pollen surrounding the fossil flies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oligocene Oligopipiza quadriguttata Nidergras, Hadrava, and Nel gen. et sp. nov. is the first fossil Pipizinae found in the lacustrine outcrop of Céreste (South-East of France). It differs from the other Pipizinae in the male genitalia, with a surstylus without tooth and shorter than epandrium, and a long epandrium with a very deep and narrow median theca. It is compared to other extant and fossil Pipizinae. Its position in this clade is supported by its inclusion in previous morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Syrphidae. Palaeoecological inferences for the paleobiota of Céreste are made based on this taxon and point to the presence of a mixed forest. The taphonomy of these flies is discussed. They were probably embedded in surface microbial mats. The pollinator role of Oligopipiza quadriguttata is also discussed on the basis of the presence of pollen surrounding the fossil flies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian odonatopteran Protanisoptera are discovered for the first time in the playa palaeoenvironments of Gonfaron and Lodève (Southern France). The new genus and species Bansheepteron gonfaronensis is erected and described on the basis of a distal half of a wing from the Guadalupian of Gonfaron. It is compared with all the previously described protanisopterans. Another specimen consisting of a basal half of a wing from the Guadalupian of Lodève, attributed to cf. Bansheepteron gonfaronensis, is also described. Furthermore, three new panorthopteran Caloneurodea are described from the Early to Middle Permian (Cisuralian and Guadalupian) of Southern France, viz. Gallogramma galadrieli gen. et sp. nov. from the le Luc Basin (Gonfaron, Var), and Paleuthygramma cf. acuta Carpenter, 1943 from the Lodève Basin (Hérault). These new fossils increase the palaeodiversity of the Caloneurodea, an interesting clade which now gathers six species in the red Permian of the Southern France, making it one of the most diverse clade in these palaeoenvironments after the Odonatoptera. The present discoveries better support a Guadalupian age for the Gonfaron Formation, even if a Late Cisuralian affinities remains possible. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1955790C-EA66-4137-9300-3E1B76C1585F http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0E77F461-6096-4567-8477-AA3D0D1037D3 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1D6DE829-BB0D-4EDA-9707-BFF442581601 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new damselfly genus and speciesValerea multicellulatais described from the Paleocene of Menat (France), a Lagerstatte with many fossil insects, plants and vertebrates with high paleontological value. Aquatic insects are very scarce in this outcrop, this damselfly being the fourth described Odonata. Its closest modern relatives belong to the Amphipterygidae or the Devadattidae, families with very narrow tropical extant distributions. This new fossil allows us to confirm the tropical affinities of the odonatan fauna of the Menat paleolake communities. It also shows that the amphipterygids were clearly more widespread during the Paleogene than today, probably in relation to the worldwide warm and equable climate in the Paleocene. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F631097-DE0B-40FA8227-9C12F55DBAB4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The systematic positions of the extinct insect orders Hypoperlida, Miomoptera and Permopsocida were enigmatic and unstable for nearly a century. The recent studies based on new material, especially from the Cenomanian Burmese amber, shed light on evolutionary history of Acercaria resolving Permopsocida as the stem group of Condylognatha. However, the knowledge of the remaining two orders differs significantly. Results: In this study, we describe new specimens and evaluate morphology of various structures with emphasis on the mouthparts and wing venation. Our results are primary based on revisions of the type specimens with a proper delimitation of taxa Hypoperlida and Miomoptera followed by their significance for the evolutionary history of Acercaria. Three new genera as Belmomantis gen. nov., Elmomantis gen. nov., and Mazonopsocus gen. nov. are designated as members of Palaeomanteidae. The Pennsylvanian Mazonopsocus provides a minimum age for calibration, in accordance to the presence of crown acercarians during the late Carboniferous. Conclusions: This contribution demonstrates that Hypoperlida and Miomoptera are stem groups of Acercaria. The putative clade (Hypoperlida + Miomoptera) is appearing as potential sister group of (Psocodea + (Permopsocida + (Thripida + Hemiptera))). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here a co-occurrence (i.e. a syninclusion) of ants and termites in a piece of Mexican amber (Totolapa deposit, Chiapas), whose importance is two-fold. First, this finding suggests at least a middle Miocene antiquity for the modern, though poorly documented, relationship between Azteca ants and Nasutitermes termites. Second, the presence of a Neivamyrmex army ant documents an in situ raiding behaviour of the same age and within the same community, confirmed by the fact that the army ant is holding one of the termite worker between its mandibles and by the presence of a termite with bitten abdomen. In addition, we present how CT-scan imaging can be an efficient tool to describe the topology of resin flows within amber pieces, and to point out the different states of preservation of the embedded insects. This can help achieving a better understanding of taphonomical processes, and tests ethological and ecological hypotheses in such complex syninclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oldest definitive beetle,Coleopsis archaicagen. et sp. nov., is described from the earliest Permian (Asselian or early Sakmarian) of Germany (Grügelborn/Saarland). Its elytral venation is typical of the Early Permian Tshekardocoleidae. The elytral venation pattern of the type ofMoravocoleus permianusKukalová, 1969 is reconsidered in order to clarify structural peculiarities of the type genus of Moravocoleidae Kukalová-Peck & Beutel, 2011, herein regarded as a junior synonym of Tshekardocoleidae. The new discovery allows reinterpretation of the elytral venation, abdominal laterosternites, and other structures, making it possible to identify a ‘subelytral space’. Tshekardocoleoidea and Labradorocolidae are confirmed as Coleoptera, while Umenocoleidaesensunov. and Umenocoleoidea are restored to Holometabola as a potential sister group of all Coleoptera. The holotype ofUmenocoleus sinuatusChen & T’an, 1973 needs to be revised in more detail. ‘Moravocoleus’perditusKukalová, 1969, regarded by Ponomarenko as a member of the genusAvocoleus, is excluded from Tshekardocoleidae and preliminarily considered as Archostemata incertae sedis. Oborocoleidae is considered as a taxon of more dubious position (order uncertain forOborocoleusKukalová, 1969, whileLiberocoleusKukalová, 1969 probably belongs to Archostemata (family uncertain)). Protocoleoptera and Paracoleoptera are considered as synonyms of Protelytroptera, while Archecoleoptera is dismissed as a paraphyletic group.Adiphlebia lacoanaScudder, 1885, previously proposed as the oldest beetle, is not a member of Coleoptera, as confirmed by Kukalová-Peck & Beutel (2012). The composition of beetle suborders and the origin of the order, which probably took place concurrently with the initial diversification of other holometabolan insects, are briefly discussed. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2044EEFE-B88B-4552-B1F9-983E6F7A583D [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enigmatic Svalbard Palaeocene fossil taxon Hymenopterites deperditus is revised, and is neither a wasp nor a plant seed, but turns out to be a bug hemelytra corresponding to the oldest described reduviid bug. It can be attributable to the "emesine-saicine clade". The presence in the Svalbard Palaeocene of this insectivorous bug, showing possible mimicry of a wasp model, confirms the presence of diverse entomofauna and of rather warm palaeoclimatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eumetabola (Endopterygota (also known as Holometabola) plus Paraneoptera) have the highest number of species of any clade, and greatly contribute to animal species biodiversity. The palaeoecological circumstances that favoured their emergence and success remain an intriguing question. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested a wide range of dates for the initial appearance of the Holometabola, from the Middle Devonian epoch (391 million years (Myr) ago) to the Late Pennsylvanian epoch (311 Myr ago), and Hemiptera (310 Myr ago). Palaeoenvironments greatly changed over these periods, with global cooling and increasing complexity of green forests. The Pennsylvanian-period crown-eumetabolan fossil record remains notably incomplete, particularly as several fossils have been erroneously considered to be stem Holometabola (Supplementary Information); the earliest definitive beetles are from the start of the Permian period. The emergence of the hymenopterids, sister group to other Holometabola, is dated between 350 and 309 Myr ago, incongruent with their current earliest record (Middle Triassic epoch). Here we describe five fossils- a Gzhelian-age stem coleopterid, a holometabolous larva of uncertain ordinal affinity, a stem hymenopterid, and early Hemiptera and Psocodea, all from the Moscovian age-and reveal a notable penecontemporaneous breadth of early eumetabolan insects. These discoveries are more congruent with current hypotheses of clade divergence. Eumetabola experienced episodes of diversification during the Bashkirian-Moscovian and the Kasimovian-Gzhelian ages. This cladogenetic activity is perhaps related to notable episodes of drying resulting from glaciations, leading to the eventual demise in Euramerica of coal-swamp ecosystems, evidenced by floral turnover during this interval. These ancient species were of very small size, living in the shadow of Palaeozoic-era 'giant' insects. Although these discoveries reveal unexpected Pennsylvanian eumetabolan diversity, the lineage radiated more successfully only after the mass extinctions at the end of the Permian period, giving rise to the familiar crown groups of their respective clades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After terrestrialization, the diversification of arthropods and vertebrates is thought to have occurred in two distinct phases, the first between the Silurian and the Frasnian stages (Late Devonian period) (425-385 million years (Myr) ago), and the second characterized by the emergence of numerous new major taxa, during the Late Carboniferous period (after 345 Myr ago). These two diversification periods bracket the depauperate vertebrate Romer's gap (360-345 Myr ago) and arthropod gap (385-325 Myr ago), which could be due to preservational artefact. Although a recent molecular dating has given an age of 390 Myr for the Holometabola, the record of hexapods during the Early-Middle Devonian (411.5-391 Myr ago, Pragian to Givetian stages) is exceptionally sparse and based on fragmentary remains, which hinders the timing of this diversification. Indeed, although Devonian Archaeognatha are problematic, the Pragian of Scotland has given some Collembola and the incomplete insect Rhyniognatha, with its diagnostic dicondylic, metapterygotan mandibles. The oldest, definitively winged insects are from the Serpukhovian stage (latest Early Carboniferous period). Here we report the first complete Late Devonian insect, which was probably a terrestrial species. Its 'orthopteroid' mandibles are of an omnivorous type, clearly not modified for a solely carnivorous diet. This discovery narrows the 45-Myr gap in the fossil record of Hexapoda, and demonstrates further a first Devonian phase of diversification for the Hexapoda, as in vertebrates, and suggests that the Pterygota diversified before and during Romer's gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-skaters in the genus Halobates Eschscholtz 1822 include some of the most specialised water striders and are found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. Even though species of Halobates occur in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, no extant sea-skater has been reported from the Mediterranean Sea. A fossil, Halobates ruffoi Andersen et al., 1994, described from Middle–Upper Eocene (45 Ma) Italy indicates that sea skaters were present in this part of the world in the past. Other geological evidence points to dramatic changes in the Mediterranean Sea during the Tertiary and Quaternary that may have led to their later extinction. In this paper we review briefly the distribution, systematics, evolution and ecology of Halobates, and discuss the potential for the Mediterranean to be recolonised following expected environmental changes due to global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two new semiaquatic bugs of the families Mesoveliidae and Gerridae are described from the Middle Miocene Dominican amber, Mesovelia dominicana sp.n. and Miohebrus anderseni gen.n., sp.n. The former is the first fossil record of the extant genus Mesovelia and the second described fossil of the family Mesoveliidae (the first mesoveliid fossil record was from undescribed fossils in French Cretaceous amber). The latter is the second described fossil Hebridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest insects to have ever lived were the giant meganeurids of the Late Palaeozoic, ancient stem relatives of our modern dragonflies. With wingspans up to 71 cm, these iconic insects have been the subject of varied documentaries on Palaeozoic life, depicting them as patrolling for prey through coal swamp forests amid giant lycopsids, and cordaites. Such reconstructions are speculative as few definitive details of giant dragonfly biology are known. Most specimens of giant dragonflies are known from wings or isolated elements, but Meganeurites gracilipes preserves critical body structures, most notably those of the head. Here we show that it is unlikely it thrived in densely forested environments where its elongate wings would have become easily damaged. Instead, the species lived in more open habitats and possessed greatly enlarged compound eyes. These were dorsally hypertrophied, a specialization for long-distance vision above the animal in flight, a trait convergent with modern hawker dragonflies. Sturdy mandibles with acute teeth, strong spines on tibiae and tarsi, and a pronounced thoracic skewness are identical to those specializations used by dragonflies in capturing prey while in flight. The Palaeozoic Odonatoptera thus exhibited considerable morphological specializations associated with behaviours attributable to ‘hawkers’ or ‘perchers’ among extant Odonata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

replying to T. Hörnschemeyer et al. Nature 494, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11887 (2013)10.1038/nature11887Since the nineteenth century, Devonian insects have repeatedly proven to be something else, the sole exception being Rhyniognatha. Recently the Devonian insect Strudiella devonica has been denied by Hörnschemeyer et al., who could not 'confirm the presence of a mandible or of mandibular teeth'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]