BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Abstract
Insects are recorded from eight plant fossil localities in the Molteno "Formation", but only
heavily sclerotized species (Blattodea and Coleoptera) have been obtained from six of them. A
small mecopteron was found at another locality, and only at Birds River, near Dordrecht, has a
more diverse fauna, with representatives of the Orthoptera, ?Mantodea, Blattodea, Homoptera
and Megaloptera, been obtained. The known fauna is closely comparable with the Triassic
faunas of Australia.
Thirteen species, nine of which are described as new, are recorded from the Molteno. Six of
the new species, and one described species, are referred to Hagla, Mesorthopteron, Triassoblatta,
Dysmorphoptiloides and Ademosyne, genera represented in or previously restricted to the Australian
Triassic faunas. The new monotypic genera, Prosbolomorpha (type species clara: Homoptera) and
Afristella (type species delicatula: Mecoptera), are similar to genera recorded from the Triassic of
Australia. Euchauliodes distinctus, gen. et sp. nov., is the earliest known Corydaloidean wing
(Megaloptera); it is referred to a new family
