scholarly journals A new sawfly of Megalodontesidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Pamphilioidea) with pectinate antennae from the Early Cretaceous of China

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 893 ◽  
pp. 115-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yimo Wang ◽  
Mei Wang ◽  
ChungKun Shih ◽  
Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn ◽  
Jun Yao ◽  
...  

A new sawfly of Megalodontesidae, Jibaissodes peichenaesp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Northeastern China. It is established mainly based on the pectinate antenna comprising 42 flagellomeres and the proximal 28 bearing apical rami, which gradually shorten in length toward the apex of the flagellum. The pterostigma of the forewing is infuscated apically and on the hind wing, vein 1-Rs is nearly equal to 1r-m and slightly shorter than 1-M. The first tergum is widely excised posteriorly and roundly protruding laterally alike in Megalodontes. This find supports that pectinate antennae in extant sawflies of Megalodontesidae originated at least during or before the Early Cretaceous.

2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenyang Cai ◽  
Andrew E. Z. Short ◽  
Diying Huang

The first skiff beetle fossil and earliest myxophagan,Hydroscapha jeholensisn. sp., is described and illustrated on the basis of a single specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, Northeastern China. Based on the combination of diagnostic characters of this specimen (e.g., minute and fusiform body, short elytra, tapered abdomen, separated meso- and metacoxae, and 3-segmented tarsi), we suggest that it is a definitive representative of Hydroscaphidae belonging to the widespread hydroscaphid genusHydroscaphaLeConte, 1874. It also represents the only impression fossil of the beetle suborder Myxophaga. This find displays great significance for shedding light on the preservation of the minute aquatic beetles, since it is the first well-preserved impression fossil reported for the suborder, rather than amber inclusion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1839) ◽  
pp. 20161448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiping Gao ◽  
Chungkun Shih ◽  
Conrad C. Labandeira ◽  
Jorge A. Santiago-Blay ◽  
Yunzhi Yao ◽  
...  

Antennae are important, insect sensory organs that are used principally for communication with other insects and the detection of environmental cues. Some insects independently evolved ramified (branched) antennae, which house several types of sensilla for motion detection, sensing olfactory and chemical cues, and determining humidity and temperature levels. Though ramified antennae are common in living insects, occasionally they are present in the Mesozoic fossil record. Here, we present the first caddisflies with ramified antennae, the earliest known fossil sawfly, and a scorpionfly also with ramified antennae from the mid-Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Northeastern China, dated at 125 million years ago (Ma). These three insect taxa with ramified antennae consist of three unrelated lineages and provide evidence for broad structural convergence that historically has been best demonstrated by features such as convergent mouthparts. In addition, ramified antennae in these Mid-Mesozoic lineages likely do not constitute a key innovation, as they are not associated with significantly increased diversification compared with closely related lineages lacking this trait, and nor are they ecologically isolated from numerous, co-occurring insect species with unmodified antennae.


2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Wei ◽  
Dong Ren

Abstract Although cockroaches were the dominant insects in various Paleozoic and Mesozoic insect assemblages, their general morphology was extremely conservative. One of the most common of them, the Jurassic-Cretaceous family Mesoblattinidae, is described here for the first time on the basis of completely preserved specimens. Ninety-two specimens of Perlucipecta aurea gen. et sp. n. reveal details of head, mandible, male tergal glands and terminal hook; cercal, leg and antennal sensilla. Its congener, P. vrsanskyi is described from the same sediments of the Yixian Formation (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous). The forewing venation variability of P. aurea, analysed for the first time in this family is nearly identical (CV = 6.23 %) with variability of two species of family Blattulidae that occur at the same locality (CV = 6.22 %; 5.72 %). The transitional nature of morphological characters represented by asymmetry between left and right wings (simple/branched forewing SC and hind wing M) in P. aurea documents the phylogenetic relation between the families Mesoblattinidae and Ectobiidae


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3504 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
YAPING CAI ◽  
YUNYUN ZHAO ◽  
CHUNGKUN SHIH ◽  
DONG REN

A new genus Mirabythus Cai, Shih et Ren, gen. nov. (type species, M. lechrius Cai, Shih et Ren, sp. nov.) and M. liae Cai, Shih et Ren, sp. nov. from the family Scolebythidae are described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Huangbanjigou Village, Liaoning Province, northeastern China. These findings extend the existence of Scolebythidae to the Early Cretaceous of China, while providing evidence to support Engel and Grimaldi’s hypothesis that the family was widely distributed throughout the Cretaceous. Our two new species with clear venation also provide a comprehensive understanding of the venational changes from the Early Cretaceous to now. A key to the fossil and extant genera of Scolebythidae is provided.


2016 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changyue Xing ◽  
Chungkun Shih ◽  
Yunyun Zhao ◽  
Dong Ren

2015 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANZ T. FÜRSICH ◽  
YANHONG PAN

AbstractIn contrast to the numerous excellently preserved arthropods, vertebrates and plants from the Mesozoic lacustrine fossil lagerstätten of northeastern China, which have calcium phosphate or organic skeletons, the preservation of taxa with a calcareous skeleton is fairly poor. Here we investigate, using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, the preservational modes of bivalves from the Jurassic Daohugou Fossil Beds of Inner Mongolia and the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of eastern Liaoning. The Jurassic bivalve Ferganoconcha sibirica is preserved as strongly compressed composite moulds which contain remains of the organic periostracum. In the Yixian Formation, the bivalves Sphaerium anderssoni and Arguniella ventricosa occur as compacted internal, external or composite moulds or are preserved with a silicified shell, and rarely with a shell consisting of iron hydroxides, which had replaced pyrite during late diagenesis/weathering. Silicification produced partly fabric-replacive microcrystalline quartz and partly void-filling megaquartz crystals after the carbonate shell had been dissolved. Films of authigenic aluminosilicate minerals, partly secondarily silicified, cover the exterior and interior shell surfaces. Occasionally, early diagenetic pyrite crystals, now oxidized to iron hydroxides, filled shell cavities forming internal moulds and rarely replaced the bivalve shell. The poor preservation of the bivalves reflects the environment and water chemistry of these lakes, which were heavily influenced by volcanic processes. Frequent ash deposition and decomposition of volcanic glass particles created acidic and alkaline lake and interstitial waters, which led to early diagenetic formation of authigenic aluminosilicate minerals, ferruginous internal moulds, dissolution of shell carbonate and silicification of shells.


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2387 (1) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
DI-YING HUANG ◽  
ANDRE NEL

Protoliupanshania wangi, new genus and species, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. It is probably the sister genus of the clade that comprises all other liupanshaniid genera, based on current knowledge of the wing venation of Paramesuropetala.


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2072 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAUL M. BARRETT ◽  
FENG-LU HAN

A detailed description of the skull and mandible of the Chinese cerapodan ornithischian dinosaur Jeholosaurus shangyuanensis (Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation) is presented for the first time and this information is used to reassess its phylogenetic position. Jeholosaurus can be distinguished from all other cerapodans on the basis of one autapomorphy (a row of small foramina on the nasal) and a character combination that is unique among ornithischians. Previously undescribed specimens add considerably to our knowledge of Jeholosaurus, providing new insights into its anatomy and ontogeny. Revised character scores increase the resolution of phylogenetic hypotheses and provide additional support for placement of Jeholosaurus within Ornithopoda.


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