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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]

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]

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 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]