Journal of Insect Biodiversity

A new early representative genus of Hylicellidae from the Triassic of China (Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha)

2024-11-28T23:54:46+13:00

A new genus and species of the extinct hemipteran family Hylicellidae, Sinohylicella sigmoidea gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of a forewing specimen from the Middle-Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation of Shaanxi, northern China. The new fossil exhibits strongly curved CuA and PCu veins, peculiar characters adding to the morphological disparity of Triassic Cicadomorpha. The diagnoses of the Hylicelloidea, and its component families Hylicellidae, Mesojabloniidae, and Chiliocyclidae, are discussed.

New locustopsid fossils from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation (Orthoptera: Caelifera)

2024-12-02T21:30:52+13:00

Sinolocustopsis gen. nov. with two new species Sinolocustopsis elongatus sp. nov. and Sinolocustopsis brevis sp. nov. are described from the Yan’an Formation. These are the second and third Middle Jurassic Caelifera from China, the first described one being Locustopsis rhytofemoralis from the Haifanggou Formation (Callovian; = Jiulongshan Formation, Bathonian–Callovian boundary interval in original paper). It is a new evidence reveal the relationship between the insect assemblages from the Yan’an Formation and the Daohugou biota.

New mecopteran insects from the Middle Jurassic Yangshuzhuang Formation of Jiyuan Basin, China

2024-12-16T19:44:19+13:00

The Middle Jurassic Yangshuzhuang Formation in the Jiyuan Basin is rich in fossil insects; however, mecopterans have not been previously reported from this formation. Herein, we describe and illustrate five new species and two new genera of the ‘Orthophlebiidae’ sensu lato from the Yangshuzhuang Formation: Protorthophlebia gracilis sp. nov., Protorthophlebia curvata sp. nov., and Jiyuanphlebia incompleta gen. et sp. nov. of Protorthophlebiidae, as well as Orthophlebia picta sp. nov., and Quadrivena jiyuanensis gen. et sp. nov. of Orthophlebiidae. Additionally, four new specimens are assigned to Orthophlebia quadrimacula Lin, 1982, as they share same coloured markings and similar venational pattern. Ten hindwing specimens of ‘Orthophlebiidae’ are also described and illustrated, representing eight distinct wing forms. Seven forewings and one possibly forewing of incompletely preserved are illustrated as at least five wing forms of ‘Orthophlebiidae’. A fragmentary specimen is assigned to Mesopsychidae, although it can only be identified at familial level. Our findings indicated that the ‘Orthophlebiidae’ sensu lato were diverse in Jiyuan Basin during the Middle Jurassic, increasing the palaeodiversity of this group during the Jurassic. Moreover, the discovery of the same species in both the Yangshuzhuang Formation and the Zhiluo Formation suggests a potential stratigraphic correlation between these two formations.

New fossil trichocerid Diptera from the Middle Jurassic of Jiyuan Basin, China

2024-12-04T23:03:28+13:00

The dipteran nematoceran Tricoceridae ?Mailotrichocera jiyuanensis sp. nov. is illustrated and described from the Middle Jurassic of Jiyuan Basin, China, based on a well-preserved wing. This small trichocerid constitutes the second representative of this family to be discovered from the same locality of Jiyuan Basin.

New orthophlebiid mecopteran from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation, China

2024-12-08T04:03:43+13:00

A new species of Orthophlebiidae, Orthophlebia lini Lian & Huang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation of Yan’an City, north China. The species is erected based on a specimen preserving both a forewing and a hindwing, and a paratype preserving only a hindwing. These specimens demonstrate variability in the relative lengths of Rs₁₊₂ and Rs₃₊₄ even within the same individual, confirming that previous taxonomic systems relying heavily on these features may be flawed. This new species represents the first mecopteran fossil species from the Yan’an Formation and increases our understanding of the species richness of Orthophlebiidae during the Jurassic.

A new record of Scytinopteridae from the Middle Triassic Tongchuan entomofauna of China

2024-12-10T22:28:15+13:00

A new species of the extinct hemipteran family Scytinopteridae, Scytinoptera minusculata sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a forewing specimen from the Middle to Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation of Tongchuan, northern China. The new fossil differs from Scytinoptera tongchuanensis by its extremely short common stem MP+CuA, strongly curved R vein, and distinct colour pattern. This finding represents the third record of Scytinopteridae in the Tongchuan entomofauna, enhancing the species richness of cicadomorphan insects in the fauna. Additionally, the diagnosis of Scytinoptera tongchuanensis is emended, with a supplemental description provided based on seven new specimens from the same locality of the Yanchang Formation as S. minusculata.

The rise of modern-type entomofauna in the Triassic

2024-12-13T02:01:03+13:00

Insects are the major contributor of Earth’s biodiversity, as the most diverse group in the modern biosphere. Considerable debates on the timing of entomofauna modernization remain, but most recent studies indicate it could have happened during the Triassic, following the “Great Dying” across the Permian–Triassic boundary. Using global insect diversity data and fossil records of select representative faunas, we performed computational analysis and comparative research to explore the compositional dynamics of entomofauna in the Permian and Triassic. Our analysis shows that: 1) following the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, insect diversity rapidly increased in the Anisian Stage of the Middle Triassic; 2) modern-dominating orders, such as Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Orthoptera exceeded half of the total diversity in the Ladinian; 3) In the Carnian of the Late Triassic, Coleoptera had emerged to be the dominating group of the entomofauna. These findings indicate that the rise of modern-typed entomofauna can be traced back to the Ladinian–Carnian (late Middle Triassic–early Late Triassic), much earlier than the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution.

New Cicadomorpha from the Triassic of China raise questions on the systematics of Archijassidae

2024-12-12T13:32:35+13:00

The fossil record of Cicadomorpha is fragmentary, and mostly based on isolated tegmina. Here, we describe and illustrate a new genus and species, Triasalus chromatus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle–Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation of Tongchuan City, northern China. The new specimen exhibits features similar to those of the two early cicadomorphan families, Hylicellidae and Archijassidae, preventing a secure assignment to either group. The classification history of Hylicellidae and Archijassidae is reviewed and the morphological characters currently used to distinguish the two families are discussed.

A new parapamphiliin wasp (Hymenoptera: Sepulcidae) from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation, China

2024-12-22T07:58:04+13:00

A new genus and species of Sepulcidae, Yananphilius peizhuangensis gen. et sp. nov., are described and illustrated from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation of Yan’an City, China. The taxon is erected based on a forewing with key diagnostic preserved. The new taxon is easily distinguishable from the other Parapamphiliinae because its long Sc vein reaches R slightly distad 1r-rs. This discovery demonstrates the overall stability of the Parapamphiliinae diagnosis, which remained unchanged for decades, and shows that its slight emendation allows for a better understanding of sepulcid wasps diversity during the Jurassic. This new species is the first Sepulcidae described in a Jurassic deposit from China and the Yan’an Formation.

**Discovery of Hemeroscopus baissicus (Odonata, Anisoptera, Hemeroscopidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Naijiahe Formation (Ningxia, NW China) and its stratigraphic significance**

2024-12-23T05:02:46+13:00

Several newly collected dragonfly wings from the Lower Cretaceous Naijiahe Formation (Kangjiawan locality, Tongxin County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, NW China) have been identified as belonging to the widely distributed species Hemeroscopus baissicus, found in North China and South Korea at similar palaeolatitudes. This species shows potential for stratigraphic correlation. The findings suggest that the Shahai-Fuxin Formation (western Liaoning), Lushangfen-Xiazhuang Formation (western Beijing), Madongshan-Naijiahe Formation (Ningxia), and Zhonggou Formation (Jiuquan Basin) are likely of comparable ages.

Fossil insects from the Ordos Basin (Title page)

2024-12-27T10:16:17+13:00

Fossil insects from the Ordos Basin (Table of contents)

2024-12-27T10:16:49+13:00

Fossil insects from the Ordos Basin

2024-12-23T12:26:49+13:00