Agnieszka Soszyńska-Maj

New representative of the family Panorpodidae (Insecta, Mecoptera) from Eocene Baltic Amber with a key to fossil species of genus Panorpodes

Panorpodidae (short-faced scorpionflies) is a species-poor family of scorpionflies (Mecoptera). Fossils are extremely rare but indicate that this group was diverse in the past. Up to now, three species of the genus Panorpodes have been described from Eocene Baltic amber, as well as a possible panorpodid from the Lower Eocene of Patagonia. Panorpodes gedanensis sp. n. is the fourth species to be recognised in amber material. Wing markings are the most important character in the taxonomy of fossil short-faced scorpionflies. The new species described here shows a new pattern of markings – five dark spots and a terminal band. The Eocene representatives of the genus Panorpodes display different patterns of wing markings: highly transparent wings in P. brevicauda (Hagen, 1856), transparent wings with dark bands and spots in P. weitschati Soszynska-Maj and Krzeminski, 2013, narrow transparent bands on a dark background in P. hageni Carpenter, 1954 and regular spots in P. gedanensis sp. n. This past diversity and distribution emphasises the relictual status of extant Panorpodidae. A key to fossil species of the genus Panorpodes based on characters of the forewing is provided.

Phylogenetic relationships within the relict family Eomeropidae (Insecta, Mecoptera) based on the oldest fossil from the Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) of Dorset, southern England

The family Eomeropidae is a peculiar relict family of Mecoptera with a single extant species and, until now, eight known fossil species ranging in age from Middle Jurassic to Palaeogene. The oldest representative of the family, Jurachorista bashkuevi gen. et sp. nov., was collected from a coastal outcrop in Dorset, southern England, and is described herein. It extends the fossil record of Eomeropidae back to the Sinemurian (Early Jurassic; c. 196 Ma) and sheds new light on the phylogenetic relationships and past distribution of the family. Analysis of the wing venation of all known Eomeropidae indicates that Notiothauma reedi, the only living representative, is characterized by the most polymerized wings, while the oldest species, the newly described Jurachorista bashkuevi, has the most reduced venation within the family. Phylogenetic analysis based on wing venation produces a tree with two clades, illustrating the different taxonomic lines within the family. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9CFA9133-6B64-4BF1-954C-C6A52D17F125

Revision of the genus Mesotipula Handlirsch, 1920 (Diptera, Limoniidae, Architipulinae) from the Lower Jurassic of Northeast Germany

ABSTRACT We revise the genus Mesotipula Handlirsch, 1920 (Diptera, Limoniidae) described from the Lower Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Northeast Germany. Mesotipula was originally separated from other Architipulinae on the base of a bifurcated vein M3, which appeared artificial after the restudy of its holotype. Holotypes of all Limoniidae described by Handlirsch and Krzeminski and Zessin from the Lower Toarcian deposits of Northeast Germany (Dobbertin and Grimmen) are revised to provide an updated diagnosis of Mesotipula and to distinguish it from other genera. As a result, the following species described by Handlirsch within the genus Architipula are transferred to the genus Mesotipula: A. geinitzi Handlirsch syn. nov., A. minuta Handlirsch comb. nov. and A. parva Handlirsch syn. nov. In addition Eotipula lapidaria Handlirsch is also transferred to Mesotipula. Now we regard six species of Mesotipula as being valid in the Lower Toarcian of Northeast Germany.

Large Jurassic Scorpionflies Belonging to a New Subfamily of the Family Orthophlebiidae (Mecoptera)

Abstract. This paper presents a further step in a revision of the fossil family Orthophlebiidae. A new fossil subfamily, Gigaphlebiinae subfam. nov., and two new genera, Gigaphlebia gen. nov. and Longiphlebia gen. nov., are established within Orthophlebiidae. The new subfamily comprises species characterized by a large size, ninebranched (exceptionally eight-branched) radial sector in both wings, and medial sector with six branches in the fore- and five in the hindwing. Four species, Gigaphlebia grandis comb. nov., G. palmaris comb. nov., G. riccardii comb. nov., and Longiphlebia stigmosa comb. nov. were transferred from genus Orthophlebia and Mesopanorpa. The diagnoses of newly established taxa are presented, all transferred species are redescribed and refigured. The significance of orthophlebiid taxonomy in the phylogeny of the Panorpoidea is discussed.