Abstract
All available material of fossil Bibionidae from French Oligocene localities, including the German locality of Kleinkembs right next to the border with France, is revised, and the species redescribed. Several publications (notably Heer 1856, Oustalet 1870 and Théobald 1937) have dealt with this material but there is a large degree of duplication leading to numerous synonyms. In addition, many of the named species have been assigned to the wrong genus. We have found seven species of Penthetria, eleven species of Plecia, seven species of Bibio and a single species of Dilophus in the material of previously named species. Three new species, Penthetria luberonica sp. n., Bibio aquaesextiae sp. n. and Bibiodes provincialis sp. n. are described from French Oligocene localities. The following new combinations are proposed: Penthetria claripennis (Théobald, 1937), Penthetria gigantea (Théobald, 1937), Penthetria graciliventris (Théobald, 1937), Penthetria longiventris (Théobald, 1937), Penthetria nervisinuata (Théobald, 1937), Penthetria subterranea (Théobald, 1937), Plecia morio (Heer, 1849), Bibio major (Oustalet, 1870), Dilophus luteipennis (Théobald, 1937). Many of the species occur from several outcrops, and distinctive faunas can be recognized from Early Oligocene (e.g., Célas and Monteils), Middle Oligocene (e.g., Céreste and Bois d’Asson) and Late Oligocene (e.g. Aix-en-Provence and the German outcrop of Rott). The late Oligocene localities also share some species with the Early Miocene locality of Radoboj, Croatia, but none with the younger locality of Öhningen, Southern Germany. For a number of named species, the type material is poorly preserved and cannot be recognized at the species level, these are commented on and assigned to the lowest taxonomical level to which they can be identified with certainty. The type materials of a number of species appear to be lost; these are placed to genera to the extent that this is possible from the original descriptions and illustrations. Bibio nigripennis Théobald, 1937, nec Brunetti, 1913 is a primary junior homonym and the name must be replaced. The species is moved to the genus Plecia and renamed Plecia theobaldi nom.n.
References
Brongniart, C.J.E. (1876) Observations sur un insecte fossile de la famille des diptères trouvé à Chadrat (Auvergne) (Protomyia oustaleti). Annales des Sciences Géologiques, 7, 1–2.
Brongniart, C.J.E. (1878) Note rectificative sur les espèces de Bibionidae fossiles du genre Plecia. Bulletin des Séances de la Société entomologique de France, 1878, XLVII–XLVIII.
Brunetti, E. (1913) New and interesting Diptera from the Eastern Himalayas. Records of the Indian Museum, 9, 255–277.
Buckland, W. (1837) Geology and Mineralogy Considered with Reference to Natural Theology. Vol. II. Carey, Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia, 132 pp., 69 pls.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.36097Collomb, F.-M., Nel, A., Fleck, G. & Waller, A. (2008) March flies and European Cenozoic palaeoclimates (Diptera: Bibionidae). Annales de sociéte entomologique de France, Nouvelle Serie, 44, 161–179.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00379271.2008.10697553Coquillett, D.W. (1904) New North American Diptera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 6, 166–192.
Evenhuis, N.E. (1994) Catalog of the fossil flies of the world. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, 600 pp.
Fabricius, J.C. (1787) Mantissa Insectorum sistens species nuper detectas adiectis synonymis, observationibus, descripitionibus, emendationibus. Tom. II. Christ. Gottl. Proft, Hafniae (Copenhagen), 382 pp.
Gentilini, G. (1993) New species of Plecia from the Oligocene of Southeastern France. Bollettino della Societa Entomologica Italiana, 125, 157–165.
Geoffroy, E.L. (1762) Histoire abrégee des insectes qui se trouvent aux environs de Paris. Vol. 2. Durand, Paris, 690 pp.
Haenni, J.-P. & Merz, B. (2000) Morphology and terminology of adult Diptera (other than terminalia). In: Papp, L. & Darvas, B. (Eds.), Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. Vol. 1. General and Applied Dipterology. Science Herald, Budapest, pp. 21–51.
Handlirsch, A. (1908) Die fossilen Insekten und die Phylogenie der rezenter Formen. Ein Handbuch für Paläontologen und Zoologen. Textband. W.Engelmann, Leipzig, 1430 pp.
Heer, O. (1849) Die Insektenfauna der Tertiärgebilde von Oeningen und von Radoboj in Croatien. Zweite Abtheilung: Heuschrecken, Florfliegen, Aderflügler, Schmetterlinge und Fliegen. Neue Denkschriften Allgemeinen Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesamten Naturwissenschaften, Zürich, 11, 1–264.
Heer, O. (1856) Ueber die fossilen Insekten von Aix in der Provence. Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 1, 1–40.
Heer, O. & Gaudin, C.-T. (1861) Recherches sur le climat et la végétation du pays tertiaire. Wurster, J. & Winterthur, C., Cherbuliez, Geneva & Paris, xxii + 220 pp.
Heyden, C. von & Heyden, L. von (1865) Bibioniden aus der Rheinischen Braunkohle von Rott. Palaeontographica, 14, 19–30.
Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum caracteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. L. Salvii, Holmiae (Stockholm), 824 pp.
Loew, H. (1871) Systematische Beschreibung der bekannten europäischen zweiflügeligen Insecten, von Johann Wilhelm Meigen. Neunter Theil oder dritter Supplementband. Beschreibungen europäische Dipteren. Zweiter Band. Schmidt, Halle, VIII + 319 pp.
Meigen, J.W. (1803) Versuch einer neuer GattungsEintheilung der europäischen zweiflügeligen Insecten. Magazin für Insektenkunde (Illiger), 2, 259–281.
Meunier, F. (1915a) Nouvelles recherches sur quelques insectes des plâtrières d’Aix en Provence. Verslag van de Gewone Vergaderingen der Wis- en Natuurkundige Afdeeling der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam, 18, 1–17.
Meunier, F. (1915b) Über einige fossile Insekten aus den Braunkohlenschichten (Aquitanien) von Rott (Siebengebirge). Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft (A), 67, 205–217.
Murchison, R.I. & Lyell, C. (1829) On the Tertiary formation of Aix, in Provence, including the Coal-field of Fuveau, with a description of fossil insects, shells and plants, contained therein. The Edinburgh new philosophical journal, October 1829, 287–297.
Oustalet, E. (1870) Recherches sur les insectes fossiles des terrains tertiaires de la France. Annales des Sciences Géologiques 2, 1–178.
Oustalet, E. (1872) Sur l’empreinte d’une aile de Diptère. Bulletin de la Société Philomatique de Paris 1872, 161–163.
Rice, H.D.A. (1959) Fossil Bibionidae (Diptera) from British Columbia. In: Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 55. Dept. of Mines and Technical Survey, Ottawa, pp. 1–35.
Skartveit, J. (2009) Fossil Bibionoidea (Diptera: Hesperinidae and Bibionidae) from Baltic amber. Studia dipterologica, 15, 3-–42.
Skartveit, J. & Pika, M. (2014) Revision of Bibionidae (Diptera) named by Oswald Heer from the Miocene of Öhningen, Southern Germany. Mitteilungen der schweizerischen entomologischen Gesellschaft, 87, 103–134.
Statz, G. (1943) Neue Dipteren (Nematocera) aus dem Oberoligocän von Rott. Palaeontographica, 45, 1–65.
Théobald, N. (1937) Les insectes fossiles des terrains oligocènes de France. Bulletin mensuel (Mémoires) de la Sociéte des Sciences de Nancy 1, 1–473.
Unger, F. (1842) Fossile Insecten. Nova acta physico-medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosum, 19, 415–428.
Wedmann, S. (1998) Taphonomie der Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) aus der oberoligozänen Fossillagerstätte Enspel (Westerwald, Deutschland). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläeontologie Monatshefte, 1998, 513–528.
Wiedemann, C.R.W. (1828) Aussereuropäische zweiflügelige Insekten. Aus Fortsetzung des Meigensche Werkes. Erster Theil. Schulz, Hamm, 608 pp. [Bibionidae pp.72–81]
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.14603Wootton, R.J. & Ennos, A.R. (1989) The implications of function on the origin and homologies of the dipterous wing. Systematic Entomology 14, 5 + 7–520.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.1989.tb00300.x