| Cretomerobius Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Neuroptera |
| Family: | Hemerobiidae |
| Subfamily: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | † Cretomerobius Ponomarenko, 1992 |
| Species | |
| |
Cretomerobius is an extinct genus of lacewings in the neuropteran family Hemerobiidae known from fossils found in Asia. The genus currently contains a single species, the Aptian C. disjunctus.
Cretomerobius disjunctus is known from the holotype specimen found in the Aptian age Bon–Tsagan site, [1] one of the richest insect fossil locations in Mongolia. Bon Tsagan preserves lacustrian sediments of a mountain lake. [2] The genus and type species were first described by Alexandr G. Ponomarenko in a 1992 paper on the fossil Neuroptera faunas of Mongolia, who named the species C. "distinctus", and which was later amended to C. disjunctus as a lapsus calami . [1]
The second species originally assigned to the genus, C. wehri, was described from a single mostly complete forewing which was preserved as a compression-impression fossil preserved in shale. The fossil was recovered from outcrops of the Ypresian [3] Klondike Mountain Formation in the Republic, Washington area by Wesley Wehr in 1993. [1] The type specimen is currently preserved in the Department of Paleobiology collections housed at Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, located in Seattle, Washington, USA. W. wehri was first studied by Vladimir Makarkin of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, S. Bruce Archibald from Simon Fraser University and John D Oswald of Texas A&M University. Their 2003 type description of the new species was published in the journal The Canadian Entomologist . Makarkin et al coined the specific epithet wehri in honor of Wesley Wehr for his work on the paleontology of the Republic site. [1] Subsequently, Makarkin, Wedmann & Weiterschan (2016) transferred C. wehri to the genus Proneuronema . [4]
At the time of the species description, placement of Cretomerobius within Hemerobiidae was uncertain. The overall venation of the wings did exclude the genus from a majority of the currently defined subfamilies; specifically Adelphohemerobiinae, Berothimerobiinae, Carobiinae, Notiobiellinae, Sympherobiinae, Psychobiellinae, Hemerobiinae, and Microminae. Makarkin et al suggested the possibility that Cretomerobius is an early offshoot genus. It would be near the start of the subfamily group consisting of Drepanacrinae, Megalominae, and Drepanepteryginae; but until more specimens are found and described, the placement could not be resolved. [1]
In general, wings of Cretomerobius show a distinct forking group of the Radial vein into three branches: ORB1, ORB2, and ORB3. The ORB1 vein has a number of pectinate branches which split from the ORB1 vein and angle to the apical area of the wing. Additionally the cubital-proximal, or CuP vein, forms a deep fork and the median vein forks proximally. [1] The forewing of C. wehri is missing portions of the apical margin and small sections from along the fore and hind margins. The wing is estimated to have been 9 mm (0.35 in) by 4.0 mm (0.16 in) at its widest. The two species are distinguished by two characters. Notably, the geographic and temporal distance between the two fossils suggests they are separate species. Additionally to the temporal disjunction, the wings differ in the fusing of the Radial and Subcostal veins. The two veins in C. disjunctus fuse near the apex of the wing forming a single vein before the wing edge. However, in C. wehri, the two veins do not fuse and stay separate the whole length of the wing. [1]
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) in the unranked taxon Neuropterida.
Green lacewings are insects in the large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are about 85 genera and 1,300–2,000 species in this widespread group. Members of the genera Chrysopa and Chrysoperla are very common in North America and Europe; they are very similar and many of their species have been moved from one genus to the other time and again, and in the nonscientific literature assignment to Chrysopa and Chrysoperla can rarely be relied upon. Since they are the most familiar neuropterans to many people, they are often simply called "lacewings". Since most of the diversity of Neuroptera are properly referred to as some sort of "lacewing", common lacewings is preferable.
Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green. They are small; most have forewings 4–10 mm long. These insects differ from the somewhat similar Chrysopidae not only by the usual coloring but also by the wing venation: hemerobiids differ from chrysopids in having numerous long veins and forked costal cross veins. Some genera are widespread, but most are restricted to a single biogeographical realm. Some species have reduced wings to the degree that they are flightless. Imagines (adults) of subfamily Drepanepteryginae mimic dead leaves. Hemerobiid larvae are usually less hairy than chrysopid larvae.
Ulteramus is an extinct genus of parasitic wasp in the sawfly family Pamphiliidae. The genus is solely known from an Eocene fossil found in North America. At the time of its description the new genus was composed of a single species, Ulteramus republicensis.
Psychopsidae is a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are commonly called silky lacewings.
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1878.
Allorapisma is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is solely known from two Eocene fossils found in North America. At the time of description the genus was composed of a single species, Allorapisma chuorum.
Ithonidae, commonly called moth lacewings and giant lacewings, is a small family of winged insects of the insect order Neuroptera. The family contains a total of ten living genera, and over a dozen extinct genera described from fossils. The modern Ithonids have a notably disjunct distribution, while the extinct genera had a more global range. The family is considered one of the most primitive living neuropteran families. The family has been expanded twice, first to include the genus Rapisma, formerly placed in the monotypic family Rapismatidae, and then in 2010 to include the genera that had been placed into the family Polystoechotidae. Both Rapismatidae and Polystoechotidae have been shown to nest into Ithonidae sensu lato. The larvae of ithonids are grub-like, subterranean and likely phytophagous.
Undulopsychopsis is an extinct genus of lacewing in the silky lacewing family Psychopsidae. The genus is solely known from a Cretaceous fossil found in China. Currently the genus is composed of a single species, Undulopsychopsis alexi.
Ainigmapsychops is an extinct genus of lacewing in the silky lacewing family Psychopsidae. The genus is solely known from an Eocene fossil found in North America. At the time of its description the new genus was composed of a single species, Ainigmapsychops inexspectatus.
Elektrithone is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is solely known from an Eocene fossil forewing found in Europe. At the times of description the genus was composed of a single species, Elektrithone expectata.
Principiala is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is known from Cretaceous fossils found in South America, Europe, and possibly Asia. The genus is composed of two species, the type species Principiala incerta, and Principiala rudgwickensis.
Wesmaelius mathewesi is an extinct species of lacewing in the neuropteran family Hemerobiidae known from an Eocene fossil found in North America
Makarkinia is an extinct genus of lacewings in the family Kalligrammatidae described by Martins-Neto in 1997 from fossils found in the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin in northeastern Brazil. The genus contains three species dating to the Late Aptian, Makarkinia adamsi, Makarkinia kerneri and Makarkinia irmae.
Araripenymphes is an extinct genus of lacewing in the family Nymphidae known from fossils found in the Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin in South America. The genus contains a single species, Araripenymphes seldeni. The genus was named after the basin.
Proneuronema is an extinct genus of lacewings in the neuropteran family Hemerobiidae known from fossils found in amber. The genus currently contains three species, P. gradatum and P. minor from Baltic amber and P. sidorchukae from Rovno amber. A Ypresian fossil from Washington state was initially also placed within the genus, having been moved from its original placement as Cretomerobius wehri, but was subsequently moved to the separate genus Archibaldia by Vladimir Makarkin (2023).
Palaeopsychops is an extinct genus of lacewing in the moth lacewings family Ithonidae. The genus is known from Early Eocene fossils found in Europe, and North America and is composed of ten species. The ten species can be informally separated into two species groups based on veination of the forewings, the "European" and "North American" groups. When first described, the genus was placed in the family Psychopsidae, but later was moved to Polystoechotidae, which itself is now considered a subgroup of the moth lacewings.
The paleofauna of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands consists of Early Eocene arthropods, vertebrates, plus rare nematodes and molluscs found in geological formations of the northwestern North American Eocene Okanagan Highlands. The highlands lake bed series' as a whole are considered one of the great Canadian Lagerstätten. The paleofauna represents that of a late Ypresian upland temperate ecosystem immediately after the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, and before the increased cooling of the middle and late Eocene to Oligocene. The fossiliferous deposits of the region were noted as early as 1873, with small amounts of systematic work happening in the 1880-90s on British Columbian sites, and 1920-30s for Washington sites. Focus and more detailed descriptive work on the Okanagan Highlands site started in the last 1970's. Most of the highlands sites are preserved as compression-impression fossils in "shales", but also includes a rare permineralized biota and an amber biota.
Polystoechotites is an extinct parataxon of lacewings in the moth lacewing family Ithonidae. The taxon is a collective group for fossil polystechotid giant lacewing species whose genus affiliation is uncertain, but which are distinct enough to identify as segregate species. Polystoechotites species are known from Eocene fossils found in North America and is composed of four named species Polystoechotites barksdalae, Polystoechotites falcatus, Polystoechotites lewisi, and Polystoechotites piperatus, plus two unnamed species. Three of the described species are known from fossils recovered from the Eocene Okanagan Highlands of Washington State, while the fourth is from Colorado.
The Paleobiota of the Klondike Mountain Formation comprises a diverse suite of Early Eocene plants and animals recovered in North Central Washington State from the Klondike Mountain Formation. The formation outcrops in locations across the north western area of Ferry County, with major sites in Republic, north west of Curlew Lake, and on the Toroda Creek area. The formation is the southern most of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands, sharing much of the paleoflora and paleofauna with site across Central and southern British Columbia.