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Issue: Vol. 5396 No. 1: 29 Dec. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-12-29
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.5
Page range: 16-21
Abstract views: 186
PDF downloaded: 7

The first species of Thaumatomeropidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Middle Triassic of China

Institute of Palaeontology; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science; Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology; MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment; Yunnan University; Kunming 650500; China; Southwest United Graduate School; Kunming 650092; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China
Institute of Palaeontology; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science; Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology; MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment; Yunnan University; Kunming 650500; China; Southwest United Graduate School; Kunming 650092; China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanjing 210008; China
Mecoptera Insecta Scorpionflies Yanchang Formation Middle Jurassic Madygen entomofauna

Abstract

Thaumatomeropidae is an enigmatic mecopteran family previously known exclusively from the Triassic Madygen entomofauna of Kyrgyzstan. Thaumatomeropids display mosaic venation, closely resembling those of Meropeidae and Eomeropidae, yet distinguished by some more “primitive” characters. Here we describe and illustrate a new thaumatomeropid species, Thaumatomerope sinensis Lian & Huang, sp. nov., from the late Middle Triassic Tongchuan entomofauna of the Chang 7 Member of the Yanchang Formation near the Hejiafang Village, Tongchuan City, NW China. This new species is characterized by reduced Rs branches, and some unique forking patterns, including the single posterior last branch of Rs and multi-branched anterior first branch of M. It represents the first thaumatomeropid species reported outside Kyrgyzstan, indicating a broader geographical distribution of the family. Moreover, this discovery enhances the resemblance of mecopteran components between the Tongchuan and the Madygen entomofaunas.

 

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