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Recent progress in beetle palaeontology has incited us to re‐address the evolutionary history of the group. The Permian †Tshekardocoleidae had elytra that covered the posterior body in a loose tent‐like manner. The formation of elytral epipleura and a tight fit of elytra and abdomen were important evolutionary transformations in the Middle Permian, resulting in a tightly enclosed subelytral space. Permian families were likely associated with dead wood of gymnospermous trees. The end‐Permian extinction event resulted in a turnover in the composition of beetle faunas, especially a decline of large‐bodied wood‐associated forms. Adephaga and Myxophaga underwent a first wave of diversification in the Triassic. Polyphaga are very rare in this period. The first wave of diversification of this suborder occurs in the Jurassic, with fossils of Elateriformia, Staphyliniformia and Cucujiformia. The Cretaceous fossil record has been tremendously enriched by the discovery of amber inclusions. Numerous fossils represent all major polyphagan lineages and also the remaining suborders. Improved analytical methods for documenting and placing extinct taxa are discussed. Different factors have played a role in the diversification of beetles. The enormous number of species associated with flowering plants, and timing and patterns of diversification in phytophagous lineages indicate that the angiosperm radiation played a major role in beetle macroevolution. Moreover, the evolution of intimate partnerships with symbionts and the acquisition of novel genes—obtained from fungi and bacteria via horizontal gene transfers—facilitated the use of plant material as a food source and were key innovations in the diversification of plant‐feeding beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odonatans are rare as amber inclusions, but quite diverse in Cretaceous Burmese amber. In the past two years, over 20 new species have been found by the present authors after studying over 250 odonatans from 300,000 amber inclusions. Most of them have now been published, and here we provide a brief review. Three suborders of crown Odonata have been recorded, including the damselfly families or superfamilies Platycnemididae, Platystictidae, Perilestidae, Hemiphlebiidae, Coenagrionoidea, Pseudostigmatoidea, Mesomegaloprepidae and Dysagrionidae, plus the dragonfly families Lindeniidae, Gomphaeschnidae and Burmaeshnidae, and the damsel-dragonfly family Burmaphlebiidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-marine bivalve Ferganoconcha occurred widely in palaeolakes in the high-middle latitude of northern China, Siberia and Central Asia during the Early and Middle Jurassic and was an important member of these lacustrine ecosystems. The diagnostic features and phylogenetic position of Ferganoconcha are still under debate. Here, based on nearly one hundred of Ferganoconcha specimens from the lacustrine and fluvial facies of the Junggar Basin in northwestern China, it is clearly shown that its most important distinctive features are the thin and flatted to weakly inflated shell covered with wrinkled ornament and the ligament is well-developed. This kind of shell indicate that the Ferganoconcha is a weak suspension feeder, burrowing rapidly and living in fine-soft substrata of the 'low energy' environments. In addition, we conclude that the dispersal pattern of the Ferganoconcha generally followed the cool to temperate and humid paleoclimate zone in northern China during the Early to Middle Jurassic, making the genus a possible palaeclimatic indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rare archaic beetle, Mallecupes qingqingae gen. et sp. n., (Insecta: Coleoptera: Archostemata: Cupedidae) is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. It shows affinity with Paracupes found in South America today and ‘ Paracupes ’ found in North America during the Cretaceous. Archostemata are diverse in Burmese amber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new genus and species, Jurassephemera zhangi gen. et sp. nov., belonging to the extinct family Sharephemeridae (Ephemeroptera: Mesephemeroidea), is established from the late Early Jurassic interval of the Shiti Formation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. The new genus and species is characterised by its moderate size; small head with reduced compound eyes; body with ten abdominal segments; round-triangular forewing shape; vein R dividing three times, forming five veinlets and three triads; veins MA, MP, and CuA straight, all basally forking once with single triads between; crossveins well developed; and hind wing oval, much smaller than forewing, with veins generally radial and single. SEM observations also reveal that crossveins are much more developed than previously recognised under optical illumination. The forewing venation of all sharephemerid genera is compared. The first report of this family in China herein increases the diversity and palaeogeographic distribution of Sharephemeridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distinct coal break occurs widely in the late Early Jurassic in Central Asia, the cause of which, however, is still debated largely due to the uncertainty of its age constraint. In the Junggar Basin of northwestern China, this coal break coincides with the Sangonghe Formation, which is well exposed along the basin margins, and is mainly composed of lacustrine deposits rich in a variety of fossils, including plants, pollens and spores, bivalves, clam shrimps, insects and some vertebrates. Here we name them as the Sangonghe biota and review their biostratigraphic framework. The Sangonghe biota constrains the Sangonghe Formation to the late Pliensbachian to the early Aalenian. Abundant thermophilous plants and Classopollis, together with frequent occurrences of red beds and carbonate nodules in the middle part of the Sangonghe Formation, are indicative of an arid climate in Central Asia at that time. This arid interlude should be responsible for the coal break, which may be related to the global warming in the early Toarcian. However, more precise dating evidence is needed to substantiate this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The non-marine Lower Cretaceous Purbeck and Wealden rocks of southern England provide an important record of insects that lived alongside the dinosaurs. Most fossil remains are those of adult insects from orders alive today, but immature insects and their trace fossils occur in the same deposits. Terrestrial immatures comprise mostly sessile nymphs of true bugs, whereas the aquatic immature fauna is represented by stoneflies and mayflies (rarely), dragonflies (uncommonly), true bugs and true flies (often common in the Purbeck), and the cases of caddisflies (locally common in the Wealden). These fossils help to shed light on the local palaeoenvironment, such as the salinity of water bodies, as well as on the processes that lead to the fossilization of generally fragile insect remains. The record of immature insects from the non-marine Purbeck and Wealden groups (Lower Cretaceous) of southern England is reviewed and expanded. Fossils of adult terrestrial insects are locally common, but terrestrial immature remains are restricted to transported hemipterans, most of which are sessile nymphs or puparia resembling those of extant whiteflies (Aleyrodidae). Remains of immature aquatic insects are more diverse and comprise the extant orders Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Trichoptera, Hemiptera and Diptera. The Trichoptera are represented by larval cases constructed from a variety of materials corresponding to several ichnogenera. The Wealden immature insects were preserved in predominantly freshwater fluvial settings, whereas the Purbeck ones occur in lagoonal palaeoenvironments, ranging in salinity from brackish to hypersaline. The composition of aquatic immature insect faunas in the latter offers potential for palaeosalinity analysis, although there are complicating factors relating to habitat stability. Uncommon trace fossils such as beetle borings in wood provide evidence of immature insects not represented by body fossils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesozoic is considered as the 'golden age' for the diversification of Neuroptera (lacewings), and many unusual lacewing larvae have been discovered in Cretaceous amber. However, little is known about their early evolution because of the rarity of fossils. Herein, we describe a new genus and species, Kuafupolydentes hui gen. et sp. nov., one of the biggest lacewing larvae from the Cretaceous known so far, based on a well-preserved specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (99 Ma). The new larva is characterized by its large size, each stylet with eight short and blunt teeth, robust and long antennae, and long and robust legs with continuous tarsus and tibia and enlarged claws. It can be considered as an early representative of the antlion clade, Myrmeleontiformia. We suggest that the new larva is also an ambush predator like extant antlions, but it might have used a different strategy to kill large prey. Some of the morphological characters of K. hui are unknown in any extant lacewings and suggest a greater morphological disparity of Neuroptera during the Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesozoic is a key era for the rise of the modern insect fauna. Among the most important evolutionary events in Mesozoic insects are the radiation of holometabolous insects, the origin of eusocial and parasitoid insects, diversification of pollinating insects, and development of advanced mimicry and camouflage. These events are closely associated with the diversification of insect ecological behaviors and colonization of new ecospaces. At the same time, insects had evolved more complex and closer ecological associations with various plants and animals. Mesozoic insects played a key and underappreciated ecological role in reconstructing and maintaining terrestrial ecosystems. A greater understanding of the history of insects may help to mitigate future changes in insect diversity and abundance. Holometabolous insects underwent a distinct radiation during the Early–Middle Triassic because they were probably more resilient to environmental disturbance. Four lineages of insects (termites, ants, corbiculate bees, and wasps) had evolved eusociality at least by the Cretaceous. The Mid-Mesozoic Parasitoid Revolution, a dramatic radiation of parasitoid lineages during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, is a major biological event in terrestrial food-web history. Insect pollination of gymnosperms was already widespread prior to the rise of angiosperms and was an evolutionary and ecological prelude to later interactions between early angiosperms and their insect pollinators during the mid-Cretaceous. Mimicry and camouflage among insects went through an increasingly sophisticated evolution in the Mesozoic in response to selective pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important combination of behaviour and pattern in animals to resemble benign objects, biolog ical mimesis can effectively avoid the detection of their prey and predators. It at least dates back to the Permian in fossil records. The recognition of mimesis within fossil, however, might be subjective and lack quantitative analysis being only based on few fossils with limited information. To compensate for this omission, we propose a new method using a Siamese network to measure the dissimilarity between hypothetical mimics and their models from images. It generates dissimilarity values between paired images of organisms by extracting feature vectors and calculating Euclidean distances. Additionally, the idea of 'transfer learning' is adopted to fine-tune the Siamese network, to overcome the limitations of available fossil image pairs. We use the processed Totally-Looks-Like, a large similar image data set, to pretrain the Siamese network and fine-tune it with a collected mimetic-image data set. Based on our results, we propose two recommended image dissimilarity thresholds for judging the mimicry of extant insects (0–0.4556) and fossil insects (0–0.4717). Deep learning algorithms are used to quantify the mimicry of fossil insects in this study, providing novel insights into exploring the early evolution of mimicry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aposematic coloration is among the most diverse antipredator strategies, which can signal unpleasantness of organisms to potential predators and reduce the probability of predation. Unlike mimesis, aposematic coloration allows organisms to warn their predators away by conspicuous and recognizable colour patterns. However, aposematism has been a regular puzzle, especially as the long-term history of such traits is obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of aposematic coloration in an orthopteran nymph from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (99 million years old). It is attributed to the extinct family Elcanidae and erected as a new genus identified by conspicuous dark/light-striped coloration, four apical spurs on the metatibia, a two-segmented metatarsus and unsegmented stylus. It represents the first fossil orthopteran preserved with aposematic coloration from the Mesozoic, demonstrating that orthopterans had evolved aposematism by the Mid-Cretaceous. Our findings provide novel insights into the early evolution of anti-predator strategies among orthopterans. Together with mimesis, debris-carrying camouflage and aposematism previously reported, our findings demonstrate the relative complexity of prey-predator interactions in the Mesozoic, especially in the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupedidae, the most species‐rich family of the archaic suborder Archostemata, were abundant, diverse and widespread in the Mesozoic, yet little is known about the early evolution and biogeography. This stems, in part, from a lack of exceptionally preserved fossils from the Mesozoic and of formal phylogenetic study of both extant and extinct taxa. Here we describe and illustrate a new fossil from mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber, and provide a phylogeny combining both fossils and all known extant genera of Archostemata. A dataset of 43 ingroup taxa and four outgroup taxa based on 110 morphological characters was analysed under parsimony. The results indicate that Priacma LeConte and Paracupes Kolbe, as well as the Cretaceous genera Barbaticupes Jarzembowski et al. and Mallecupes Jarzembowski et al., together form a sister clade to the rest of Cupedidae. Priacma megapunctasp.n. is attributed to the relict North American Priacma by the presence of distinct subtruncate elytral apices, lateral elytral margins with two rows of sharp teeth, and peculiar fixing epipleural folds near the elytral apices. Our discovery of the first fossil species of Priacma in Burmese amber reveals the antiquity and wider distribution of the genus in the late Mesozoic. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:313565C2‐4F42‐48BD‐8720‐F379DE202868. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mermithid nematodes are obligate invertebrate parasites dating back to the Early Cretaceous. Their fossil record is sparse, especially before the Cenozoic, thus little is known about their early host associations. This study reports 16 new mermithids associated with their insect hosts from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, 12 of which include previously unknown hosts. These fossils indicate that mermithid parasitism of invertebrates was already widespread and played an important role in the mid-Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem. Remarkably, three hosts (bristletails, barklice, and perforissid planthoppers) were previously unknown to be parasitized by mermithids both past and present. Furthermore, our study shows that in contrast to their Cenozoic counterparts, Cretaceous nematodes including mermithids are more abundant in non-holometabolous insects. This result suggests that nematodes had not completely exploited the dominant Holometabola as their hosts until the Cenozoic. This study reveals what appears to be a vanished history of nematodes that parasitized Cretaceous insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second species of Saltissus, as the first mimarachnid planthopper, is herein described from the upper Weald Clay Formation, Smokejacks brickworks, England. Saltissus fennahi Luo, Liu et Jarzembowski sp. nov. can be distinguished from the type species Saltissus eskovi Shcherbakov, 2007 due to the tegmen being more than 20 mm long, stem Pc+CP merged with margin at less than 1/10th of tegmen length, stem ScP+R forked beyond the fusion of Pcu+A1, and branch A1 curved strongly at base. The distribution and tegminal colour pattern of Mimarachnidae are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing and ecological impacts of the Deccan Traps large igneous province eruption are vigorously debated. Pre--Cretaceous-Paleogene (KPg) boundary impacts of Deccan volcanism have been widely identified in marine sediments, but direct evidence of terrestrial impacts remains rare. We used mercury concentrations and isotopic compositions, a proxy for volcanic activity, to assess impacts on terrestrial environments. We studied two drill cores across the KPg boundary in eastern China that represent two different depositional environments: clastic deposits in the Jiaolai Basin and carbonate deposits in the Pingyi Basin. Both drill cores exhibit strong Hg enrichment prior to the KPg boundary. Near consistent massindependent fractionation (MIF) of odd-Hg isotopes (odd-MIF) in the Jiaolai Basin likely indicates a volcanogenic source of Hg spikes below the KPg boundary. Odd-MIF isotopes in the Pingyi Basin likewise suggest a volcanogenic Hg source but with a terrestrial Hg signature of lower Δ199Hg values before and after the Hg spike interval. The Hg enrichment level can be stratigraphically correlated to the beginning of the Latest Maastrichtian warming event (LMWE) and is consistent with a strong, negative carbon-isotope excursion (CIE) in both δ13Corg (organic matter) and δ13Ccarb (carbonate), suggesting a disturbance of the global carbon cycle induced by a major pulse of Deccan Traps volcanism. Our discovery of a terrestrial record of pre-KPg boundary Deccan volcanism provides robust evidence of global influence of the Deccan Traps large igneous province during the LMWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource pulses, occasional events of ephemeral resource superabundance, represent a fundamental mechanism by which energy, nutrients, and biomass are transported across ecotones. They are widespread in extant ecosystems; however, little is known about their deep-time record. We report the earliest-known mayfly swarm from the Early Jurassic Xiwan biota of southern China. Our taphonomic and sedimentological analyses show that these mayflies were buried on the bottom of a calm lake after post-mating death. Our suite of analyses suggests that the complex mating-swarm behavior was already well established in mayflies by the Early Jurassic. More importantly, our find represents the earliest-known resource pulse of insects, a mechanism that can play a substantial role in nutrient transport from aquatic ecosystems to surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. Such an aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem linkage may be a key novelty in Mesozoic lacustrine ecosystems. Our results highlight the underappreciated ecological significance of insects in deep-time terrestrial ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossilized tree resin, or amber, commonly contains fossils of animals, plants and microorganisms. These inclusions have generally been interpreted as hollow moulds or mummified remains coated or filled with carbonaceous material. Here, we provide the first report of calcified and silicified insects in amber from the mid‐Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Data from light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive and wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX and WDX), X‐ray micro‐computed tomography (Micro‐CT) and Raman spectroscopy show that these Kachin fossils owe their preservation to multiple diagenetic mineralization processes. The labile tissues (e.g. eyes, wings and trachea) mainly consist of calcite, chalcedony and quartz with minor amounts of carbonaceous material, pyrite, iron oxide and phyllosilicate minerals. Calcite, quartz and chalcedony also occur in cracks as void‐filling cements, indicating that the minerals formed from chemical species that entered the fossil inclusions through cracks in the resin. The results demonstrate that resin and amber are not always closed systems. Fluids (e.g. sediment pore water, diagenetic fluid and ground water) at different burial stages have chances to interact with amber throughout its geological history and affect the preservational quality and morphological fidelity of its fossil inclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses about the evolution of the brood care behavior of the animals including insects for the survival of their next generation. It also focuses on a report on ensign scale insect (Ortheziidae), which preserves its eggs inside a wax ovisac for its protection. In addition it also talks about the Burmese amber piece which preserves adult female with about 60 eggs in wax ovisac.

The oldest fossil Ceratopogonidae, Archiaustroconops besti sp. n., dated at 142 million years old, is described from the Purbeck Limestone Group of Dorset, southern England, United Kingdom. Represented by a single wing, it belongs to a lineage within the family, indicating that the fossil subfamily Lebanoculicoidinae, the earliest lineage, may be expected in even earlier deposits. The wing, like those of all early fossil Ceratopogonidae is small, less than 1 mm in length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Houia is a possible annectent form between horseshoe crabs and eurypterids (sea scorpions). However, fossils are rare, previously only known from a single locality. Here, we report a new species of this genus, Houia guangxiensis sp. nov., from the Lower Devonian Cangwu Formation of Guangxi Province, South China. This discovery extends the geographical distribution of Houia from the Yangtze to the Cathaysia Block, supporting the living age of this genus in the Early Devonian (Lochkovian–Emsian). It not only adds to the record of this rare 'intermediate' form but also suggests potential relationships of shallow‐water species in the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end- Permian mass extinction (EPME) led to a severe terrestrial ecosystem collapse. However, the ecological response of insects--the most diverse group of organisms on Earth--to the EPME remains poorly understood. Here, we analyse beetle evolutionary history based on taxonomic diversity, morphological disparity, phylogeny, and ecological shifts from the Early Permian to Middle Triassic, using a comprehensive new dataset. Permian beetles were dominated by xylophagous stem groups with high diversity and disparity, which probably played an underappreciated role in the Permian carbon cycle. Our suite of analyses shows that Permian xylophagous beetles suffered a severe extinction during the EPME largely due to the collapse of forest ecosystems, resulting in an Early Triassic gap of xylophagous beetles. New xylophagous beetles appeared widely in the early Middle Triassic, which is consistent with the restoration of forest ecosystems. Our results highlight the ecological significance of insects in deep- time terrestrial ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at the 6th International Congress on Fossil Insects, Arthropods and Amber held from April 14-18, 2013 in Byblos, Lebanon. Topics include amber and its preparative methods, palaeoenvironment and geology, and insect phylogeny and systematics. The congress featured several scientists including Paul Nascimbene, Pierrette Gex, and Sarah Martin.

The article offers information on the papers discussed at the sixth International Congress on Fossil Insects, Arthropods and Amber Byblos in Lebanon from April 14-18, 2013. It says that there were 32 origial papers cover the topics related to insect systematics and phylogeny, amber, and geology. It states that in time of the congress, the archeological sites of Byblos and the caves of Jeita were visted, and the field trip includes visits to Lower Cretaceous amber sites.

Several new taxa of snakeflies (Raphidioptera) are described from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of the Wealden, UK (Barremian), Montsec, Spain (Barremian) and the Crato Formation, Brazil (Aptian). Mesoraphidia ednae sp. nov. and M. hilli sp. nov. are described from the Wealden; Nanoraphidia lithographica sp. nov. and Iberoraphidia dividua gen. et sp. nov. are described from Montsec, and Baissoptera lisae sp. nov. is described from the Crato Formation. The geographical range of Nanoraphidia has potentially been extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new palaeodictyopteran, Anglopterum magnificum gen. et sp. n., is described from concretions of Late Carboniferous (Langsettian) in the Lancashire County (UK). The new genus, based on the hind-wing venation, is attributed to Homoiopteridae and compared with other homoiopterid genera. A previously figured homoiopterid from Late Carboniferous (Upper Asturian) roof shales in Somerset (UK) is bearing venation pattern of anal area similar to Mazonopterum wolfforum Kukalová-Peck and Richardson, 1983. These are the first formally described species of Homoiopteridae from the British Isles. Furthermore, their similarity in venation pattern to Mazonopterum wolfforum Kukalová-Peck and Richardson, 1983 from Mazon Creek (USA) provides evidence for a Euramerican connection during the Late Carboniferous. To cite this article: J. Prokop et al., C. R. Palevol 5 (2006) . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation in the Ordos Basin of northwestern China is a typical lacustrine deposit. A major component of this formation is thick layers of organic‐rich shales that are probably a potential hydrocarbon source and preserve the earliest known Mesozoic‐type lacustrine ecosystem. The exact depositional environment of the shales in the Tongchuan Formation, however, remains unknown. To address this question, we carried out high‐resolution carbon (δ13Corg) and sulphur (δ34Spy) isotope analysis as well as undertook total organic carbon (TOC)/pyrite contents and pyrite morphology investigation, and framboidal pyrite size measurements in shales of the Bawangzhuang section of the southern Ordos Basin. Remarkably high TOC (23 ± 9%) and pyrite (7 ± 3%) contents were obtained from the shales, which indicate a large amount of organic carbon and pyrite burial during shale deposition. Framboids are the dominant pyrite morphology in the pyrite crystals and show large and variable mean diameters (7.0 ± 1.7 μm to 14.3 ± 6.8 μm) across the section, indicating oxic–dysoxic bottom water during shale deposition. δ13Corg and δ34Spy revealed narrow and less variable values, ranging from −31.8‰ to −28.1‰, and −4.1‰ to 4.9‰, respectively. The δ13Corg values suggest balanced and consistent carbon cycles. Integrated with pyrite content and morphological patterns, consistent δ34Spy values probably demonstrate a relatively open environment for the formation of sedimentary pyrite, and thus a shallow chemocline that was quite close to the water‐to‐sediment interface during shale deposition. Overall, the organic‐rich shales of the Tongchuan Formation were probably deposited under oxic–dysoxic bottom‐water conditions. Shallow chemocline depth combined with moderately high sedimentation rate and high primary productivity may have played crucial roles in the deposition and formation of the organic‐rich shales in the Tongchuan Formation. The shallow chemocline also facilitates the fossil preservation in a lacustrine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second genus and species of recently established planthopper family Inoderbidae, Ingensala xiai gen. et sp. nov., is described based on a well-preserved specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber, and it can be definitely attributed to Inoderbidae mainly based on its head structure, pronotum, and mesonotum without median and lateral carinae and tegmen venation. Ingensala gen. nov. is superficially similar to Eofulgoridium regarding its venation pattern, rather than to the Inoderbidae type genus Inoderbe, and further confirmed that Inoderbidae might descend from the Jurassic planthopper family Fulgoridiidae. The early fork of CuA and the stem CuA bearing many branches also can be found in Jurassic Qiyangiricaniidae and Eocene Weiwoboidae. Ingensala gen. nov. also superficially resembles some Tropiduchidae: Tropiduchinae. The new genus differs from the type genus Inoderbe to a large extent according to its wide head, frons without fastigium, antennae not so elongate, the tectiform condition of wings' position in repose, large, broad and translucent tegmen, triangular basal cell, single CuA 1 , legs covered with short setae, and the lack of filamentous wax on body. Therefore, two new subfamilies (Inoderbinae stat. nov. and Ingensalinae subfam. nov.) are established for these two genera respectively. The diversification in planthoppers could be the result of pressure of environmental changes during the mid-Cretaceous, and Inoderbidae provides more information for us to understand the Cretaceous stage of Fulgoroidea evolution and diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The fossil record of adult planthoppers is relatively rich, but the nymphs are rare and not well studied. Here, we describe a bizarre armoured planthopper nymph: Spinonympha shcherbakovi gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. The new genus and species is characterized by its large size, armoured body, extremely long rostrum, and leg structure. The fossil nymph cannot be attributed to any known planthopper family, but can be excluded from many families due to its large size and leg structure. The armoured body was probably developed for defence, and the extremely long rostrum indicates that, in the past, planthopper feeding on trees with thick and rough bark was more widespread than today. The new find reveals a new armoured morphotype previously unknown in planthopper nymphs. The fossil record of adult planthoppers is comparatively rich, but nymphs are rare and not well studied. Here, we describe a bizarre armoured planthopper nymph, Spinonympha shcherbakovi gen. et sp. nov., in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. The new genus is characterized by its large size, body armed with spines and tubercles, extremely long rostrum reaching well beyond the apex of the abdomen; profemur and mesofemur subcylindrical, covered with setae; protibia and mesotibia subquadrangular, densely covered with setae; protarsus and mesotarsus with two segments, tarsomere II longer and wider than I; metatrochanter swollen, metafemur subcylindrical, covered with short setae; metatibia subquadrangular, densely covered with short setae, without lateral spine and pectens without setae; metatarsus with three segments, and metatarsomere III extremely small. The fossil nymph cannot be attributed to any known planthopper family, but can be excluded from many families due to its large size and leg structure. The armoured body was probably developed for defence, and the extremely long rostrum indicates that, in the past, feeding on trees with thick and rough bark was more widespread than today. These features indicate that the new specimen represents a new armoured morphotype of planthopper nymph from the fossil record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) records in marine and terrestrial archives across the Cretaceous/Paleocene (K/Pg) boundary were examined as a proxy for Deccan Large Igneous Province (LIP) eruptions. We examined no less than twenty-six key sections/boreholes that are globally distributed, and show that Hg values have a log-normal distribution. The data have a similar trend to that across other major extinction boundaries in the Phanerozoic record. Questionable Hg/TOC anomalies have been ruled out, indicating excess Hg loading at the K/Pg boundary. Most Hg isotope values across the K/Pg boundary indicate a volcanic Hg source, based on the mass-independent (MIF) Δ199Hg values. However, negative Δ199Hg values suggest continental inputs in the Jhilmili section (India). Near-synchronous Hg and negative carbon-isotope excursion (CIE) patterns are identified in sediments associated with LIPs representing the paired release of Hg and isotopically depleted CO 2 , especially in the Latest Maastrichtian warming event (LMWE) that we attribute to the Deccan LIP. We compared the response of global biotic changes to Deccan volcanism and the Chicxulub impact. It appears that the end-Cretaceous mass extinction was a complex catastrophe caused by volcanism driving major climate fluctuations and ocean acidification, and perhaps exacerbated by the Chicxulub impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME; ca. 252 Ma) led to profound changes in lacustrine ecosystems. However, whether or not post-extinction recovery of lacustrine ecosystems was delayed has remained uncertain, due to the apparent rarity of Early and Middle Triassic deep perennial lakes. Here we report on mid-Middle Triassic lacustrine organic-rich shales with abundant fossils and tuff interlayers in the Ordos Basin of China, dated to ca. 242 Ma (around the Anisian-Ladinian boundary of the Middle Triassic). The organic-rich sediments record the earliest known appearance, after the mass extinction, of a deep perennial lake that developed at least 5 m.y. earlier than the globally distributed lacustrine shales and mudstones dated as Late Triassic. The fossil assemblage in the organic-rich sediments is diverse and includes plants, notostracans, ostracods, insects, fishes, and fish coprolites, and thus documents a Mesozoic-type, trophically multileveled lacustrine ecosystem. The results reveal the earliest known complex lacustrine ecosystem after the EPME and suggest that Triassic lacustrine ecosystems took at most 10 m.y. to recover fully, which is consistent with the termination of the "coal gap" that signifies substantial restoration of peat-forming forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damselfly superfamily Coenagrionoidea is the largest zygopteran group, comprising three-fifths of all extant damselfly species. The Mesozoic fossil record of this superfamily is sparse, whilst it is relatively common in Burmese amber. A new coenagrionoid family, Burmacoenagrionidae Zheng et al., fam. nov., is established here based on four new species in three new genera: Burmacoenagrion pretiosus Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov., Burmachistigma cheni Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov., Electrocoenagrion elongatum Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov. and Electrocoenagrion forficatum Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov. The previously described damselfly genus, Burmagrion Möstel et al., 2017, is transferred to this family. Burmacoenagrionidae Zheng et al. fam. nov. has a long pterostigma covering 3-5 cells, pigmented wings and a sigmoidally curved RA and RP1 distal of the pterostigma, differing from other coenagrionoid damselflies. Until now, this is the most diverse damselfly family reported from Burmese amber, showing that the Coenagrionoidea were already highly diversified 100 million years ago. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DAB9700E-2F21-4BC7-97A0-41569DA4898A [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odonatans are quite rare in the fossil record compared with the other insects, especially in Cretaceous amber inclusions. The extant family Platystictidae is one of the most diverse Zygoptera, but short of fossil records. In this paper, a new species, Mesosticta davidattenboroughi sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, representing the third-known fossil species of Platystictidae. Mesosticta davidattenboroughi sp. nov. has a long IR1 beginning one cell distal of the base of RP2, confirming the previous attribution of Mesosticta Huang, Azar, Cai & Nel, 2015 to Platystictidae. It differs from other species of Mesosticta in having a long IR1 and a basally crossed subdiscoidal cell. The fossil genus Mesosticta shares the diagnostic characters of the modern platystictid genera, viz. a basally recessed ‘CuP’ (shared by all species), a very long IR1 (only in Mesosticta davidattenboroughi sp. nov.), and a specialized subdiscoidal area mostly rhomboidal in shape (only in Mesosticta electronica Zheng, Zhang, Chang & Wang, 2016). Based on the platystictid damselflies from Burmese amber, a new subfamily Mesostictinae subfam. nov. is established. Mesostictinae subfam. nov. represents the first fossil group of modern platystictid damselflies, documenting the appearance of Platystictidae as early as mid-Cretaceous. It differs from modern Platystictidae by the presence of fewer postnodal and postsubnodal crossveins, a short MP, the base of RP2 being nearer to the subnodus and the nodus lying more distally. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6669DBCD-F2EF-4C84-9623-BD33142AD36B [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batesian mimicry is a relationship in which a harmful organism (the model) is mimicked by a harmless organism (the mimic), which gains protection because predators mistake it for the model. It is the most widely studied of mimicry complexes and has undoubtedly played an important role in the speciation of various animals especially insects. However, little is known about the early evolution of this important behavior and its evolutionary significance owing to a dearth of paleontological records. Here we report several specialized representatives of the family Alienopteridae from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil, mid-Cretaceous Burmite, and the Eocene of the USA. They exhibit unique morphological adaptations for wasp and ant mimicry and represent one of the oldest evidence of Batesian mimicry in the insect fossil record. Our findings reveal at least 65-million-year coevolution between extinct alienopterids and aculeates. Phylogenetic Bayesian network analysis houses Alienopteridae within Umenocoleidae explosively radiating ~127 Ma. Alienopteridae is the only Mesozoic-type cockroach family which passed K/Pg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which shows new insect fossils from a Ladinian deposit in northwestern China, including the earliest definite caddisfly cases water boatmen, diverse polyphagan beetles and scorpionflies. It mentions diversification of aquatic insects had already begun by the Middle Triassic, providing new insights into the early evolution of freshwater ecosystems. It also mentions radiations of terrestrial plants and vertebrates during this period.

Amber inclusions have been studied for several centuries, but true dragonflies are extremely rare, with only several poorly preserved wings recorded. In Burmese amber, odonatans are relatively diverse, but true dragonflies are still rare. An excellently preserved true dragonfly, Burmagomphides electronica Zheng, Nel & Wang gen. et sp. nov., representing the new family Burmagomphidae Zheng, Nel & Wang fam. nov., is described here from Cretaceous Burmese amber. This is the first well-preserved true dragonfly with complete wings in this amber. It is attributed to the clade Oligophlebiata because it has symmetrical RP branches at the midfork and a well-developed trigonal planate as in the clade Hagenioidea, and the vein CuAa distinctly shortened with reduced pectinate branching as in Brevicubitalia; it differs, however, from the latter two in having a narrow hind wing base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on scale architectures from Jurassic Lepidoptera and Tarachoptera. It mentions that Jurassic lepidopterans exhibit a type 1 bilayer scale vestiture which is almost identical to those of some extant Micropterigidae. It states that optical modeling confirms that diffraction related scattering mechanisms dominate the photonic properties of the fossil cover scales, which would have displayed broadband metallic hues as in numerous extant Micropterigidae.

Courtship behaviours, frequent among modern insects, have left extremely rare fossil traces. None are known previously for fossil odonatans. Fossil traces of such behaviours are better known among the vertebrates, e.g. the hypertelic antlers of the Pleistocene giant deer Megaloceros giganteus. Here we describe spectacular extremely expanded, pod-like tibiae in males of a platycnemidid damselfly from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Such structures in modern damselflies, help to fend off other suitors as well as attract mating females, increasing the chances of successful mating. Modern Platycnemidinae and Chlorocyphidae convergently acquired similar but less developed structures. The new findings provide suggestive evidence of damselfly courtship behaviour as far back as the mid-Cretaceous. These data show an unexpected morphological disparity in dancing damselfly leg structure, and shed new light on mechanisms of sexual selection involving intra- and intersex reproductive competition during the Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the Lower Jurassic genus Dorsettia Whalley, 1985 is described from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation of the Junggar Basin, northwestern China, as Dorsettia sinica new species. It provides additional morphological characters for this genus and is the earliest Jurassic dragonfly in China after the end-Triassic extinction. The occurrence of Dorsettia in England and northwestern China indicates that the end-Triassic extinction probably did not have a drastic influence on damsel-dragonflies, or that the dispersal of damsel-dragonflies was relatively quick during the earliest Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Kalligrammula Handlirsch, 1919 (Insecta, Neuroptera, Kalligrammatidae) are described as K. lata n. sp. and K. karatensis n. sp. based on two nearly complete hindwings respectively from the Middle–Upper Jurassic of Daohugou, China and the Upper Jurassic of Karatau, Kazakhstan. Limnogramma Ren, 2003 is considered to be a junior synonym of Kalligrammula based on the hindwing venation. The distribution of kalligrammatid genera is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alienopteridae are among the most perplexing fossil insects and once conspicuous members of Cretaceous Dictyoptera (now including cockroaches, termites and mantises). However, the precise nature of their life history, evolution, and phylogenetic affinities remained controversial and open to debate. Here we report new alienopterid nymphs from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (approximately 99 Ma) and define three nymphal morphotypes, along with proposed interpretations of their life style. We also re-evaluate the systematic position of Alienopteridae, and of the recently erected order Aethiocarenodea. Geometric morphometric analyses suggest that morphotype I nymphs exhibit distinct morphological specializations that were most likely associated with ant mimicry, like immature stages of some modern crown mantises. Remarkably, mimetic association between these nymphs and stem-group ants provides the earliest record of ant mimicry (myrmecomorphy), which is contemporary with the earliest ants and their eusociality. We discuss different interpretations of the life history of alienopterid adults, especially wasp mimicry, and conclude that Teyia was likely a wasp mimic. The nymphs (morphotype I) and adults of Teyia resemble different models, which provides the first fossil record of transformational mimicry, implying that this behaviour had already evolved by the mid-Cretaceous. In addition, one alienopterid nymph laden with pollen clumps provides evidence for gymnosperm pollination and a previously unknown gymnosperm-insect association. This suggests that extinct dictyopterans might have been among the earliest pollinators, with a hitherto undervalued role in pollination ecology. Our phylogenetic analysis provides evidence that Alienopteridae and Umenocoleidae together constitute a monophyletic group (Alienoptera), which is placed as sister taxon of Mantodea. Alienoptera including Umenocoleidae were supported as a separate lineage, and mainly characterized by sclerotized shell-like tegmina and unique leg structures, their main diversification probably occurred before the J/K boundary, and we suggest a common evolutionary origin during the Late Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleogene arthropod biotas have proved important for tracing the faunal turnover and intercontinental faunal interchange driven by climatic warming and geodynamic events [1-5]. Despite the large number of Paleogene fossil arthropods in Europe and North America [5-8], little is known about the typical Asian (Laurasia-originated) arthropod biota. Here, we report a unique amber biota (50-53 million years ago) from the Lower Eocene of Fushun in northeastern China, which fills a large biogeographic gap in Eurasia. Fushun amber is derived from cupressaceous trees, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and paleobotanical observations. Twenty-two orders and more than 80 families of arthropods have been reported so far, making it among the most diverse amber biotas. Our results reveal that an apparent radiation of ecological keystone insects, including eusocial, phytophagous, and parasitoid lineages, occurred at least during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. Some insect taxa have close phylogenetic affinities to those from coeval European ambers, showing a biotic interchange between the eastern and western margins of the Eurasian landmass during the Early Paleogene. • A unique amber biota is reported from the Early Eocene of Fushun, China • The paleobiota is among the most diverse amber biotas • Fushun amber is derived from cupressaceous trees • Biotic interchange occurred between Europe and Asia during the Early Paleogene Wang et al. report a unique amber biota (50-53 million years ago) from the Lower Eocene of Fushun in northeastern China, which fills a large biogeographic gap in Eurasia. The paleobiota is among the most diverse amber biotas and indicates a biotic interchange between Europe and Asia during the Early Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesozoic fossils of longhorn beetles, leaf beetles and other Chrysomeloidea are extremely rare, and little is known about the early evolutionary history of this extraordinarily diverse superfamily of beetles. Here we report the earliest known fossil cerambycid,Cretoprionus liutiaogouensisgen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China.C. liutiaogouensisbears several features characteristic of the extant subfamily Prioninae, including a large and robust body, absence of a stridulatory plate on the mesonotum, pseudotetramerous tarsi, mouthparts projecting forwards, and lateral carinae on the prothorax. It represents the only definite Mesozoic record of Cerambycidae, and extends the time of origin of the Prioninae as early as the Early Cretaceous. We incorporate two new calibration points as minimum constraints on the age of (1) Prioninae + Parandrinae and (2) Bruchinae using data from a recent molecular phylogenetic study of Chrysomeloidea, to reconstruct divergence times among the major lineages of Chrysomeloidea. Our analyses suggest that most chrysomeloid families appeared in the Jurassic and diversified over the course of the Cretaceous, a scenario consistent with the codiversification of Chrysomeloidea and their (predominantly) angiospermous hosts; however, the phylogeny of Chrysomeloidea remains incompletely resolved, and further elucidation of timing and patterns of chrysomeloid macroevolution will require additional study. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0FF28F2E-026E-4408-9CF6-D61B6197548E [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species, Hsiufua chaoi Zhang et Wang, is established based on a forewing from the Middle Jurassic Haifanggou Formation in Inner Mongolia, China and attributed to Campterophlebiidae, Isophlebioidea, Odonata. It is the largest odonate known in China and the fourth in the world in terms of forewing length. The maximum size (based on forewing length) of Odonata is smaller in the Permian than in the Mesozoic which is probably due to competition for prey between Odonata and Protodonata in the Permian. The reason that the maximum size of Jurassic odonates is larger than that of their extant relatives is most probably less competition and lower predation pressure from contemporary aerial vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Research Article Depositional environment of Middle Triassic organic‐rich shales in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China by Wei Wang et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4215. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a depositional history spanning the early Aptian to early Albian (~19 mys), the Lower Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in Jiuquan, NW China provides detailed record of an inland ecosystem responding to global climatic and environmental changes. The Xinminpu Group exhibits the most typical elements of the Jehol Biota found outside NE China, a highly diverse avifauna and a mid-Cretaceous angiosperm flora. The absence of a comprehensive stratigraphical framework for this area however limits the degree to which the unit can be interpreted relative to coeval sections and the geological records in genera. Recent fossil discoveries and radio-isotopic age data can provide a more detailed biostratigraphical and chronostratigraphical framework for Lower Cretaceous units around Jiuquan. The data complied here indicate that the Chijinpu Formation correlates with the middle-upper Yixian and lower Jiufotang formations of NE China making it early Aptian in age, and the Xiagou Formation correlates with the upper Jiufotang and Shahai formations making it late early Aptian-early Albian in age. This research further reports a novel zircon U-Pb age constraint of 112.4 ± 0.3 Ma for a basalt sample from the lowermost Zhonggou Formation, which is supported to be correlated with the Fuxin Formation of early Albian age. The Chijinpu Formation contains typical elements of the Jehol Biota, i.e. the Eosestheria - Lycoptera - Ephemeropsis trisetalis assemblage, confirming the interpretation that the Jehol Biota had reached Jiuquan during its second evolutionary stage. The Xiagou Formation contains the amphibious avifauna appearing just above OAE1a, indicating a close link between the early Ornithuromorpha evolution and early Aptian global climate changes. The Zhonggou Formation in Jiuquan records the first appearance of an angiosperm flora above OAE1b. Depositional indicators suggest a humid climate with a gradual shift to arid conditions during this time. This review paper laid foundation for the systematic study of the well-preserved Early Cretaceous ecosystem in Jiuquan, allowing to understand correlations between inland and marine environments as recorded in sediments from this critical period. • We establish the stratigraphy and time scales for the Lower Cretaceous in Jiuquan. • We review how a Cretaceous inland ecosystem responded to global climatic change. • This study summarizes the detailed fossil records for the Jehol Biota in NW China. • Robust age for the less-studied outcrops allows to test the Jehol radiations. • A close link existed between early Ornithuromorpha evolution and OAE1a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]