Abstract
Mesopsyche Tillyard, 1917 is an extinct genus of Mecoptera belonging to the long-proboscid-bearing Mesopsychidae, an adaptation probably associated with pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms. Here, we describe two new species, Mesopsyche jinsuoguanensis sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation in Shaanxi Province, and Mesopsyche liaoi sp. nov., from the Upper Triassic Huangshanjie Formation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The new discoveries highlight the diversity of the Mesopsyche in the region during the Mesozoic.
References
Ashraf, A.R., Sun, Y.W., Sun, G., Uhl, D., Mosbrugger, V., Li, J. & Hermann, M. (2010) Triassic and Jurassic palaeoclimate development in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China—a review and additional lithological data. In: Martin, T., Sun, G. & Mosbrugger, V. (Eds.), Triassic–Jurassic biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 90, pp. 187–201.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-010-0034-0
Bashkuev, A.S. (2011) The earliest Mesopsychidae and revision of the family Mesopanorpodidae (Mecoptera). ZooKeys, 130, 263–279. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.130.1611
Chen, J.H. (1995) Triassic strata and paleogeographic outline. In: Zhou, Z.Y. & Li, H.L. (Eds.), Stratigraphy, Paleogeography and Plate Tectonics of NW China. Nanjing Univ Press and Nanjing, pp. 240–252.
Grimaldi, D., Rasnitsyn, A., Zhang, J.F. & Fraser, N. (2005) Revision of the bizarre Mesozoic scorpionflies in the Pseudopolycentropodidae (Mecopteroidea). Insect Systematics & Evolution, 36 (4), 443–458.https://doi.org/10.1163/187631205794761021
Hong, Y.C. (2007a) Discovery of the fossil glosselytrods (Insecta: Glosselytrodea) from Shaanxi, China. Acta Entomologica Sinica, 50 (3), 271–280.
Hong, Y.C. (2007b) Midtriassic new genera and species of Mesopanorpodidae (Insecta, Mecoptera) from Shaanxi, China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 32 (2), 261–267.
Hong, Y.C. (2009) Mid Triassic new genera and species of Orthophlebiidae and Neorthophlebiidae (Insecta, Mecoptera) from Shaanxi, China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 34 (3), 423–427.
Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. (1980) Mesozoic Stratigraphy and Paleontology of ShanGanNing Basin, volume I. Geological Publishing House and Beijing, 212 pp. [in Chinese]
Khramov, A.V., Bashkuev, A.S. & Lukashevich, E.D. (2020) The fossil record of long-proboscid nectarivorous insects. Entomological Review, 100 (7), 737–844.https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873820070015
Labandeira, C.C. (2010) The pollination of Mid Mesozoic seed plants and the early history of long-proboscid insects. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 97 (4), 469–513. https://doi.org/10.3417/2010037
Labandeira, C.C., Kvaček, J. & Mostovski, M.B. (2007) Pollination drops, pollen, and insect pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms. Taxon, 56 (3), 663–695. https://doi.org/10.2307/25065852
Lambkin, K. (2014) The Mesopsychidae (Mecoptera) of the Queensland Triassic. Australian Entomologist, 41 (3), 135–146.
Li, Y., Yao, J.X., Wang, S.E. & Pang, Q.Q. (2016) Middle-Late Triassic terrestrial strata and establishment of stages in the Ordos Basin. Acta Geoscientica Sinica, 37 (3), 267–276.
Lin, Q.B. (1992) Late Triassic insect fauna from Toksun, Xinjiang. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 31 (3), 313–335.
Lin, X.D., Labandeira, C.C., Shih, C.K., Hotton, C.L. & Ren, D. (2019) Life habits and evolutionary biology of new two-winged long-proboscid scorpionflies from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Nature Communications, 10 (1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09236-4
Lin, X.D., Shih, M.J., Labandeira, C.C. & Ren, D. (2016) New data from the Middle Jurassic of China shed light on the phylogeny and origin of the proboscis in the Mesopsychidae (Insecta: Mecoptera). BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16 (1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0575-y
Liu, Z.S. (2001) Sporopollen assemblage of the Huangshanjie Formation from the northern margin of the Tuha Basin of Xinjiang, NW China. Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica, 18 (2), 163–172.
Packard, A.S. (1886) A new arrangement of the orders of insects. The American Naturalist, 20 (9), 808.
Nam, K.S. & Kim, J.H. (2014) Occurrence of the fossil Mesopsyche dobrokhotovae in the Late Triassic Amisan Formation, Nampo Group, Korea and its geological implication. Journal of the Korean Earth Science Society, 35 (3), 161–167.https://doi.org/10.5467/JKESS.2014.35.3.161
Novokshonov, V. (1997) Some Mesozoic scorpionflies (Insecta: Panorpida = Mecoptera) of the families Mesopsychidae, Pseudopolycentropodidae, Bittacidae, and Permochoristidae. Paleontological Journal, 31 (1), 65–71. [in Russian]
Novokshonov, V. & Sukatsheva, I. (2001) Fossil scorpionflies of the" suborder" Paratrichoptera (Insecta: Mecoptera). Paleontological Journal, 35 (2), 173–182. [in Russian]
Novozhilov, N. (1957) Un nouvel ordre d’arthropodes particuliers, Kazacharthra, du Lias des monts Ketmen (Kazakhstan SE, URSS). Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 6 (1–3), 171–185.https://doi.org/10.2113/gssgfbull.S6-VII.1-3.171
Rasnitsyn, A. & Kozlov, M. (1990) New group of fossil insects: scorpions with cicad and butterfly adaptations. Doklady-earth science sections. Silver Spring MD, 310 (1), 233–236.
Ren, D., Labandeira, C.C., Santiago-Blay, J.A., Rasnitsyn, A., Shih, C.K., Bashkuev, A., Logan, M.A.V., Hotton, C.L. & Dilcher, D. (2009) A probable pollination mode before angiosperms: Eurasian, long-proboscid scorpionflies. Science, 326 (5954), 840–847. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1178338
Riek, E. (1953) Fossil mecopteroid insects from the Upper Permian of New South Wales. Records of the Australian Museum, 23 (2), 55–87.https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.23.1953.621
Riek, E. (1956) A re-examination of the mecopteroid and orthopteroid fossils (Insecta) from the Triassic beds at Denmark Hill, Queensland, with descriptions of further specimens. Australian Journal of Zoology, 4 (1), 98–110.https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO9560098
Shih, C.K., Qiao, X., Labandeira, C.C. & Ren, D. (2013) A new mesopsychid (Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China. Acta Geologica Sinica, 87 (5), 1235–1241. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.12124
Sun, G., Miao, Y.Y., Mosbrugger, V. & Ashraf, A.R. (2010) The Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic strata and floras of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China. In: Martin, T., Sun, G. & Mosbrugger, V. (Eds.), Triassic–Jurassic biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, Northwest China. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 90, pp. 203–214.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-010-0039-8
Tillyard, R. (1917) Mesozoic insects of Queensland. No. 1. Planipennia, Trichoptera, and the new order Protomecoptera. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 42, 175–200.https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.4852
Tillyard, R. (1918) Permian and Triassic insects from New South Wales in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 42, 720–756.https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.4869
Tillyard, R. (1919) Mesozoic insects of Queensland. No. 5. Mecoptera, the new order Paratrichoptera, and additions to Planipennia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 44 (1), 194–212.
Tong, J.N. & Yin, H.F. (2015) Triassic chronostratigraphy and Chinese stages. Earth Science—Journal of China University of Geosciences, 40, 189–197. [in Chinese, with English abstract]
Xinjiang Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. (1993) Regional Geology of Xinjiang Uygul Autonomous Region. Geological Publishing House and Beijing, 783 pp. [in Chinese]
Zalessky, G. (1935) Sur deux restes d’insectes fossiles provenant du bassin de Kousnetzk et sur l’age geologique des depots qui les renferment. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 5 (5), 687–695.
Zhao, X.D., Wang, B., Bashkuev, A.S., Aria, C., Zhang, Q.Q., Zhang, H.C., Tang, W.T. & Engel, M.S. (2020) Mouthpart homologies and life habits of Mesozoic long-proboscid scorpionflies. Science Advances, 6 (10), eaay1259.https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay1259
Zheng, D.R., Chang, S.C., Wang, H., Fang, Y., Wang, J., Feng, C., Wang, J., Feng, C.Q., Xie, G.W., Jarzembowski, E.A., Zhang, H.C. & Wang, B. (2018) Middle-Late Triassic insect radiation revealed by diverse fossils and isotopic ages from China. Science advances, 4 (9), eaat1380. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat1380