New palaeomacromiid dragonflies from the upper Paleocene of Argentina

A new genus of palaeomacromiid dragonflies, Curviarculia, based on Curviarculia delicata sp. nov. and Curviarculia lamasi sp. nov., is erected from the upper Paleocene Maíz Gordo Formation of north-western Argentina. Phylogenetic relationships within Palaeomacromiidae are discussed, leading to a new family diagnosis.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

First fossil record of Discocephalinae (Insecta, Pentatomidae): a new genus from the middle Eocene of Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina

A new genus and species of Discocephalini, Acanthocephalonotum martinsnetoi gen. n. et sp. n. is described from Río Pichileufú, middle Eocene of Patagonia, Argentina at palaeolatitude ~ 46°S. The new species is the first fossil representative of the Discocephalinae. This taxon is extant in equatorial to subtropical America, and some species reach warm temperate latitudes (Buenos Aires province). The new genus is distinguished from the other genera of Discocephalini by the combination of these characters: interocular width greater than head length; head massive and quadrangular with the anterior margin almost straight; juga touching each other; labrum thick and curved; triangular ante-ocular process extending beyond the eye; broad spine-like antero-lateral process of the pronotum; pronotum explanate and bean shaped; scutellum triangular with a circular tongue reaching the anterior side of abdominal segment 7; and wings well developed with membrane just surpassing end of abdomen.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

New palaeomacromiid dragonflies from the upper Paleocene of Argentina

A new genus of palaeomacromiid dragonflies, Curviarculia, based on Curviarculia delicata sp. nov. and Curviarculia lamasi sp. nov., is erected from the upper Paleocene Maíz Gordo Formation of north-western Argentina. Phylogenetic relationships within Palaeomacromiidae are discussed, leading to a new family diagnosis.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The first damselflies from the lowermost eocene of Denmark, with a description of a new subfamily (Odonata, Zygoptera: Dysagrionidae)

Eodysagrion mikkelseni gen. et sp. nov., type species of the new subfamily Eodysagrioninae, and the dysagrionine Primorilestes madseni sp. nov., the first thaumatoneurid damselflies from the lowermost Eocene of Denmark, are described. They confirm the presence of this American family in the Palaeogene of Western EuropeFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

New palaeomacromiid dragonflies from the upper Paleocene of Argentina

A new genus of palaeomacromiid dragonflies, Curviarculia, based on Curviarculia delicata sp. nov. and Curviarculia lamasi sp. nov., is erected from the upper Paleocene Maíz Gordo Formation of north-western Argentina. Phylogenetic relationships within Palaeomacromiidae are discussed, leading to a new family diagnosis.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The diversity of Odonata and their endophytic ovipositions from the Upper Oligocene Fossillagerstätte of Rott (Rhineland, Germany

A commented list of fossil Odonata from the Oligocene outcrop of Rott is given, together with descriptions of new traces of oviposition in plant tissues, very similar to ichnotaxa already known from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco floras of Patagonia. The joint presences of odonatan larvae and traces of oviposition demonstrate the autochthony of these insects in the palaeolake of Rott, confirming the existence of a diverse and abundant aquatic entomofauna, a situation strikingly different to that in the contemporaneous Oligocene palaeolake of Céreste (France).Museo de La Plat

First fossil record of Discocephalinae (Insecta, Pentatomidae): a new genus from the middle Eocene of Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina

A new genus and species of Discocephalini, Acanthocephalonotum martinsnetoi gen. n. et sp. n. is described from Río Pichileufú, middle Eocene of Patagonia, Argentina at palaeolatitude ~ 46°S. The new species is the first fossil representative of the Discocephalinae. This taxon is extant in equatorial to subtropical America, and some species reach warm temperate latitudes (Buenos Aires province). The new genus is distinguished from the other genera of Discocephalini by the combination of these characters: interocular width greater than head length; head massive and quadrangular with the anterior margin almost straight; juga touching each other; labrum thick and curved; triangular ante-ocular process extending beyond the eye; broad spine-like antero-lateral process of the pronotum; pronotum explanate and bean shaped; scutellum triangular with a circular tongue reaching the anterior side of abdominal segment 7; and wings well developed with membrane just surpassing end of abdomen.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Fossils from the Middle Jurassic of China shed light on morphology of Choristopsychidae (Insecta, Mecoptera)

Choristopsychidae, established by Martynov in 1937 with a single isolated forewing, is a little known extinct family in Mecoptera. Since then, no new members of this enigmatic family have been described. Based on 23 well-preserved specimens with complete body and wings from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China, we report one new genus and three new species of Choristopsychidae, two new species of the genus Choristopsyche Martynov, 1937: C. perfecta sp. n. and C. asticta sp. n.; one new species of Paristopsyche gen. n.: P. angelineae sp. n.; and re-describe C. tenuinervis Martynov, 1937. In addition, we emend the diagnoses of Choristopsychidae and Choristopsyche. Analyzing the forewing length/width ratios of representative species in Mecoptera, we confirm that choristopsychids have the lowest ratio of forewing length/width, meaning broadest forewings. These findings, the first fossil choristopsychids with wellpreserved body structure and the first record of Choristopsychidae in China, shed light on the morphology of these taxa and broaden their distribution from Tajikistan to China, while increasing the diversity of Mesozoic Mecoptera in China.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The first damselflies from the lowermost eocene of Denmark, with a description of a new subfamily (Odonata, Zygoptera: Dysagrionidae)

Eodysagrion mikkelseni gen. et sp. nov., type species of the new subfamily Eodysagrioninae, and the dysagrionine Primorilestes madseni sp. nov., the first thaumatoneurid damselflies from the lowermost Eocene of Denmark, are described. They confirm the presence of this American family in the Palaeogene of Western EuropeFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

La parcimonie de Wagner sur base de caractères morphologiques: une nouvelle méthode pour les études paléosynécologiques

The limits and difficulties related to the tools currently in use for palaeosynecological comparisons of faunas or floras of different geological periods are discussed. The new method of the Wagner parsimony Applied to Palaeosynecology Using Morphology (WAPUM method), is defined and tested on morphological characters gathered from two insect groups Odonatoptera and Thripida. The difficulties related to the monophyly of the taxonomic groups used in the more traditional approaches are no longer a problem when using the WAPUM method. In the WAPUM a character is ‘presence versus absence of species bearing a morphological structure’. The results obtained from use of the WAPUM minimize the number of changes among character states. Application of the WAPUM could reveal signals to confirm or object the currently available scenarios for the global changes in the evolution of past diversity and disparity of organisms (major changes or global crises of diversity).Les limites et difficultés inhérentes aux outils actuellement utilisés dans les comparaisons paléosynécologiques de faunes ou de flores de différentes périodes géologiques sont discutées. La nouvelle méthode de la parsimonie de Wagner appliquée à la paléosynécologie sur la base de caractères morphologiques (méthode WAPUM), est définie et testée à partir des caractères morphologiques de deux groupes d’insectes, les Odonatoptera et les Thripida. Les difficultés liées à la monophylie des groupes taxonomiques utilisés dans les approches plus traditionnelles disparaissent avec la méthode WAPUM. Dans l’approche WAPUM, un caractère est ‘présence/absence d’une espèce portant une structure morphologique’. Les résultats obtenus à partir de la méthode WAPUM minimisent le nombre de changements d’état de caractères. Cet outil permet de tester les scénarios actuellement disponibles pour les changements globaux dans l’évolution de la diversité et de la disparité passée des organismes (changements majeurs ou crises globales de la diversité).Museo de La Plat