Ren Dong

Palpimanoid spiders from the Jurassic of China

Abstract Only two specimens of spiders have been described from Jurassic strata, so the recovery of some 400 new specimens from rocks of middle Jurassic age from China signals a dramatic increase in information on fossil spiders of this period. Here, new spiders belonging to the superfamily Palpimanoidea sensu Forster & Platnick 1984, from the locality of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, are described. Patarchaea muralis n. gen., n. sp. is a true archaeid, represented by both an adult male and female. Sinaranea metaxyostraca n. gen., n. sp., represented by an adult male and juveniles, is a palpimanoid similar to Palpimanidae and Huttoniidae, but is not placed in a modern family.

New ommatids of Ommatinae (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae) from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China

Abstract Four new fossil species of the family Ommatidae from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China are described. Two of them belong go tribe Brochocoleini: Brochocoleus sulcatus sp. nov. and Brochocoleus angustus sp. nov. The other two refer to tribe Ommatini: Cionocoleus planiusculus sp. nov. The diagnosis of Brochocoleus and Cionocoleus, respectively, are revised. A preliminary analysis of geographical distribution suggests a possible migration pathway of the genus Brochocoleus. The relationship between the genus Cionocoleus and the extant family Crowsoniellidae is briefly discussed. *Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30025006, 30370184, 30430100), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 5032003), Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (Grant No. KZ200410028013) and PHR Project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education

New Species of Cimbrophlebiidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

Four new species of three genera in the family Cimbrophlebiidae, Telobittacus decorus sp. nov., Bellicimbrophlebia heteroneura sp. nov., Cimbrophlebia amoena sp. nov., and Cimbrophlebia gracilenta sp. nov., are described and illustrated based on eleven well-preserved fossil specimens. These specimens were collected from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the first record of the genus Cimbrophlebia in the Jurassic extending its age from the Lower Cretaceous to the Middle Jurassic. Due to same venational characters, we propose that an undescribed fossil specimen of Cimbrophlebiidae from the Jurassic of Germany is attributed to C. gracilenta sp. nov. Our new findings demonstrate an evolutionary trend of venational change from 185 to 50 Ma that the level of the bifurcation of Rs is gradually moving toward the base of wing in reference to the bifurcation of M.

A New Mesopsychid (Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

: The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard, 1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. Herein, a new genus and a new species of fossil mesopsychid, Epicharmesopsyche pentavenulosa gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, supplementing the family-level diversity. The well-preserved, new material reveals many characters, including antennae, wing venation, shape and genitalia that increase our morphological understanding of the family, although unfortunately the mouthparts and most of the legs are not preserved. Diagnosis of the Mesopsychidae is emended to include a four- or five-branched MP in both the fore- and hind wings. This is the first documentation of a wing coupling structure in the Mesopsychidae, consisting of three to four frenula bristles on the humeral lobe at the base of the costal margin of both hind wings. Asymmetrical shape and size of the left and right wings on a specimen of E. pentavenulosa gen. et sp. nov., seems to be a common condition for mesopsychid taxa from northeastern China.

A New Axymyiid Genus with Two New Species from the Middle Jurassic of China (Diptera: Nematocera: Axymyiidae)

: The Axymyiidae is one of the small families of the suborder Nematocera within the Diptera. Up to date, three genera and seven species of extant axymyiids have been described from the Holarctic Region, including Canada, China, Hungary, Japan, Russia, and USA, with three genera and three species of fossil taxa described from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, northeastern China. A new genus Raraxymyia gen. nov. and two new species, R. parallela and R. proxima gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China, are herein described based on their well-preserved wings and body characters. A revised key to the genera of axymyiids is provided.

New Genus and Species of Rhyacophilidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of China

One new genus with a new fossil species, Declinimodus setulosus gen. et sp. nov. which was found in the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China, are described and illustrated. The new species is assigned to the Rhyacophilidae according to button-shaped of the 2nd segment of maxillary palp, and the forked R1 (in the forewing, located near apex). These new discovery are the earliest fossil records of Rhyacophilidae, which providing important evident for the study of the origin and early evolution of Trichoptera.

New Species of Cretolimonia and Mesotipula(Diptera:Limoniidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

Two new species, Cretolimonia excelsa sp. nov. and Mesotipula gloriosa sp. nov., in Limoniidae of Diptera are described and illustrated, based on three fossil specimens with bodies and complete wings. These specimens were collected from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation at Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. These are the first fossil records of these two genera from China.

New fossil helorid wasps (Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea) from the Early Cretaceous of China

Li, L., Shih, C. & Ren, D., February 2017. New fossil helorid wasps (Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea) from the Early Cretaceous of China. Alcheringa 41, 474–486. ISSN 0311-5518 Two new genera with two new species, Bellohelorus fortis and Novhelorus macilentus, and one new species, Protocyrtus parilis, within an established genus are described. Laiyanghelorus erymnus is re-described based on well-preserved specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou Village, Beipiao City, Western Liaoning Province, China. Three taxonomic changes are proposed: Liaoropronia Zhang & Zhang is transferred from Roproniidae to Heloridae, and Novhelorus saltatrix (Shi, Zhao, Shih & Ren) and Spherogaster beipiaoensis (Shi, Zhao, Shih & Ren) are recombined. In addition, Gurvanhelorus mongolicus Rasnitsyn is tentatively considered a synonym of Protocyrtus validus Zhang & Zhang. A key to all genera of Heloridae is provided. All described helorid fossils with their distribution and geological age are summarized. Key forewing characters are compared for all fossil species to show the interspecific venational differences, which highlight a high level of genus-level diversity among Mesozoic helorids. Longfeng Li [fenger4499@163.com], Chungkun Shih* [chungkun.shih@gmail.com] and Dong Ren [rendong@mail.cnu.edu.cn], College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, PR China. *Also affiliated with Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA. Received 20.4.2016; revised 19.9.2016; accepted 11.11.2016.