Paradoxosisyra Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Neuroptera |
Family: | Sisyridae |
Genus: | † Paradoxosisyra Makarkin, 2016 |
Species: | †P. groehni |
Binomial name | |
†Paradoxosisyra groehni Makarkin, 2016 | |
Paradoxosisyra is an extinct genus of lacewing in the spongefly family, Sisyridae. The genus contains a single species, Paradoxosisyra groehni and is placed into the extinct subfamily Paradoxosisyrinae. Paradoxosisyra is known from a solitary Middle Cretaceous fossil which was found in Asia.
Paradoxosisyra is known from one adult fossil, the holotype, specimen number "GPIH Typ. Kat. Nr. 4580". At the time of the genus description, the specimen was residing in the Geological-Paleontological Institute and Museum's C. Gröhn collection, part of the University of Hamburg. The described specimen is an adult female which has been preserved as an inclusion in a transparent chunk of Burmese amber. The amber specimens were recovered from deposits in Kachin State, in Myanmar. Burmese amber has been radiometrically dated using U-Pb isotopes, yielding an age of approximately 98.79 ± 0.62 million years old, close to the Aptian – Cenomanian boundary, in the earliest Cenomanian. [1] [2] [3]
The fossil was first described by the Russian paleoentomologist Vladimir Makarkin of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Makarkin's 2016 type description of the new genus and species was published in the journal Cretaceous Research. [3] The genus name Paradoxosisyra was coined as a combination of the modern genus name Sisyra and the Greek word "paradoxos" meaning strange, in allusion to the unique mouth-parts not seen in any other member of the family. The specific epithet groehni was coined as a patronym honoring the amber collector Carsten Gröhn who collected and promoted the study of Baltic amber. [3]
Paradoxosisyra is one of three Sisyridae genera described from the fossil record, the others being the Cretaceous Prosisyrina from Taimyr amber and the Eocene Paleosisyra from Baltic amber. [3] Due to the different structure of the mouthparts from other members of Sisyridae, Makarkin erected a new subfamily Paradoxosisyrinae for the genus, placing the other genera into the subfamily Sisyrinae. [3]
While the placement and structure of the gonocoxites on the females abdomen and the general wing venation are most similar to genera of Sisyridae, a number of characters distinguish Pa. groehni. Most notably the mouthparts are fused and modified into an extremely elongated siphon-like tube. All the other described genera in Sisyridae have adults with mandible structured mouthparts used for chewing or biting. There are several raised dome like calluses that are covered in setae and unlike other member of Sisyridae, the pronotum sclerite is present. [3]
The Stephanidae, sometimes called crown wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps. They are the only living members of the superfamily Stephanoidea. Stephanidae has at least 345 living species in 11 genera. The family is considered cosmopolitan in distribution, with the highest species concentrations in subtropical and moderate climate zones. Stephanidae also contain four extinct genera described from both compression fossils and inclusions in amber.
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.
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Psychopsidae is a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are commonly called silky lacewings.
Sisyridae, commonly known as spongeflies or spongillaflies, are a family of winged insects in the order Neuroptera. There are approximately 60 living species described, and several extinct species identified from the fossil record.
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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.
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Camelomecia is an extinct genus of stem-group ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Camelomecia janovitzi, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.
Prosisyrina is an extinct genus of lacewing in the neuropteran family Sisyridae. The genus contains two described species, Prosisyrina sphinga and Prosisyrina sukachevae. Prosisyrina is known from a group of Late Cretaceous fossils which were found in Asia.
Dlusskyidris is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Sphecomyrminae, and is one of the five genera placed in the tribe Sphecomyrmini. The genus contains a single described species, Dlusskyidris zherichini, and is known from three Late Cretaceous fossils which have been found in northern Russia.
Ceratomyrmex is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Haidomyrmecinae. The genus contains a single described species Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri and is known from several Late Cretaceous fossils which have been found in Asia.
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