Weiting Zhang

New fossil Lepidoptera (Insecta: Amphiesmenoptera) from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Northeastern China.

Background The early history of the Lepidoptera is poorly known, a feature attributable to an inadequate preservational potential and an exceptionally low occurrence of moth fossils in relevant mid-Mesozoic deposits. In this study, we examine a particularly rich assemblage of morphologically basal moths that contribute significantly toward the understanding of early lepidopteran biodiversity. Methodology/Principal Findings Our documentation of early fossil moths involved light- and scanning electron microscopic examination of specimens, supported by various illumination and specimen contrast techniques. A total of 20 moths were collected from the late Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Northeastern China. Our principal results were the recognition and description of seven new genera and seven new species assigned to the Eolepidopterigidae; one new genus with four new species assigned to the Mesokristenseniidae; three new genera with three new species assigned to the Ascololepidopterigidae fam. nov.; and one specimen unassigned to family. Lepidopteran assignment of these taxa is supported by apomorphies of extant lineages, including the M1 vein, after separation from the M2 vein, subtending an angle greater than 60 degrees that is sharply angulate at the junction with the r–m crossvein (variable in Trichoptera); presence of a foretibial epiphysis; the forewing M vein often bearing three branches; and the presence of piliform scales along wing veins. Conclusions/Significance The diversity of these late Middle Jurassic lepidopterans supports a conclusion that the Lepidoptera–Trichoptera divergence occurred by the Early Jurassic.

The Mesozoic family Archegocimicidae and phylogeny of the infraorder Leptopodomorpha (Hemiptera)

The Mesozoic hemipteran family Archegocimicidae Handlirsch is newly diagnosed and its fauna in China revised based on abundant new material. The complicated taxonomic history of the family is reviewed and the following taxonomic changes proposed: Propritergum opimum Zhang, Engel, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov.; Longianteclypea gen. nov.; Longianteclypea tibialis (Popov), comb. nov.; Mesolygaeus naevius (Hong), comb. nov.; Sinolygaeus Hong, synonym of Mesolygaeus Ping; and Enicocoris manlaicus Popov, Xishania fusiformis Hong, Jiaodongia maershanensis Hong, and Xishania? jiangxiensis Hong all synonyms of Mesolygaeus laiyangensis Ping. Living and fossil representatives of the infraorder Leptopodomorpha are coded for the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the clade. The resulting cladogram supports the recognition of the constituent superfamilies Saldoidea and Leptopodoidea, the former containing Saldidae, Aepophilidae and Archegocimicidae, and the latter Palaeoleptidae, Omaniidae and Leptopodidae. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BCB8B92B-D67C-457F-A55F-10BF3A9D3D82

The first report of Mesoveliidae (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha) from the Yixian Formation of China and its taxonomic significance

One new genus and two new species of fossil Mesoveliidae, Sinovelia mega and Sinovelia popovi, are described and illustrated. They were collected from Early Cretaceous non-marine sedimentary strata of the Yixian Formation in northeastern China. These represent the first fossil mesoveliids from China and can be assigned to the subfamily Mesoveliinae.

Phylogenetic analyses with four new Cretaceous bristletails reveal inter‐relationships of Archaeognatha and Gondwana origin of Meinertellidae

Based on fifteen Archaeognatha (=Microcoryphia) specimens from Myanmar (Burmese) amber, including males, females and immatures, two new genera and four species, Cretaceomachilis longa sp.n., Unimeinertellus abundus gen. et sp.n., U. bellus sp.n. and Nullmeinertellus wenxuani gen. et sp.n., are described. Phylogenetic analyses of taxa in Archaeognatha were conducted using Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference based on morphological characters and DNA sequence data. Our results confirm the phylogenetic position of the new genera, clarify the monophyly of Meinertellidae and indicate that the ‘paleo‐types’ excluding Ditrigoniophthalmus are nested within the Machilidae group, but suggest that the three subfamilies within Machilidae may be artificial. The diversity of meinertellids with derived characters found from the Cretaceous indicate that the divergence time of Machilidae and Meinertellidae is much earlier than the Cretaceous. We propose the possibility that Meinertellidae might have originated on Gondwana.

Two new fossil caddisflies (Amphiesmenoptera: Trichoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China

Zhang, W.T., Shih, C.K. & Ren, D., May 2016. Two new fossil caddisflies (Amphiesmenoptera: Trichoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China. Alcheringa XX, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518. Two new species, Acisarcuatus locellatus (Necrotauliidae) and Liadotaulius limus (?Philopotamidae) are described. They were collected from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou Village, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China. In addition, we interpret Karatauliodes to be a junior synonym of Necrotaulius and propose Necrotaulius minutus (Sukatsheva, 1968) comb. nov. We propose transferring Necrotaulius korujensis and Necrotaulius shewjensis to Liadotaulius as Liadotaulius korujensis (Sukatsheva, 1990) comb. nov. and Liadotaulius shewjensis (Sukatsheva, 1990) comb. nov. Based on newly described taxa and the new combinations proposed, we summarize seven known genera with 24 species within Necrotauliidae and provide a key to the genera of this family. Weiting Zhang [zhangweitinghao@163.com], Geoscience Museum, Hebei GEO University, 136 Huaiandonglu, Shijiazhuang, 050031, PR China; Chungkun Shih [chungkun.shih@gmail.com] and Dong Ren [rendong@mail.cnu.edu.cn], College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, PR China; Chungkun Shih, Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.

A new taxon of a primitive moth (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Eolepidopterigidae) from the latest Middle Jurassic of northeastern China

Abstract A new genus and species, Aclemus patulus n. gen. n. sp., is described based on a new specimen collected from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Inner Mongolia, China. Based on a combination of characters from this fossil, including a homonomous fore- and hindwing, a 3-branched media vein, wings lacking long cilia on their margins; and a cross-vein absent between subcosta and radius, we establish a new genus assigned to the Eolepidopterigidae. In addition, the diagnosis of Longcapitalis excelsus Zhang, Shih, Labandeira and Ren 2013, is emended based on new fossil material.

New fossil Ochteridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Ochteroidea) from the Upper Mesozoic of north‐eastern China, with phylogeny of the family

Specimens of the velvety shore bugs (Hemiptera: Ochtheridae) occur in the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in north‐eastern China. We describe two new genera and three new species –Pristinochterus ovatus Yao, Zhang & Ren sp. nov.,Floricaudus multilocellus Yao, Ren & Shih gen.n. et sp.n. and Angulochterus quatrimaculatus Yao, Zhang & Ren gen.n. et sp.n.– from this deposit. A cladistic analysis based on a combination of fossil and extant taxa, and their morphological characters, clarifies the phylogenetic status of the new fossils and allows the reconstruction of relationships within the family Ochteridae. Two main clades within Ochteridae are recognized from the cladistic analysis: Pristinochterus Yao Cai & Ren and Floricaudus Yao, Ren & Shih gen.n. form a monophyletic lineage; and Angulochterus Yao, Zhang & Ren gen.n. emerges as a sister group to all extant velvety shore bugs. A key to all fossil and extant genera of Ochteridae is provided.

Dehiscensicoridae fam. nov. (Insecta: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha) from the Upper Mesozoic of Northeast China

A new family of insects is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in western Liaoning Province, China. Dehiscensicoridae Du, Yao & Ren fam. nov. comprises five new genera and five new species: Dehiscensicoris sanctus Du, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov., Pingquanicoris punctatus Du, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov., Changirostrus maculatus Du, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov., Crassiantenninus minutus Du, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov. and Minuticoris brunneus Du, Yao & Ren gen. et sp. nov. A cladistic analysis based on a combination of fossil and extant morphological characters is used to hypothesize the phylogenetic status of the new family, allowing the reconstruction of the interfamily relationships within the Coreoidea (sensu lato) which were found to be: Pyrrhocoroidea + (Dehiscensicoridae fam. nov. + (Coreoidea + (Idiostoloidea + Lygaeoidea))). http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E501B670-AF36-408C-8B9D-466B330BA775

Phylogenetic analysis of a new fossil Notonectidae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) from the Late Jurassic of China

Zhang W.T., Yao Y.Z. & Ren D., June 2012. Phylogenetic analysis of a new fossil Notonectidae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) from the Late Jurassic of China. Alcheringa, 239–250. ISSN 0311-5518. A new fossil species Notonecta vetula sp. nov. is described and illustrated using nymph and adult fossil specimens collected from the Upper Jurassic Chijinqiao Formation, Yumen City, Gansu Province, China. A phylogenetic analysis, based on a combination of fossil and extant backswimmers, was conducted to confirm the position of the new fossil within the Notonectidae. Wei-ting Zhang [zhangweitinghao@163.com], Yun-zhi Yao* [yaoyz100@gmail.com] and Dong Ren [rendong@mail.cnu.edu.cn], Key Lab of Insect Evolution and Environmental Changes, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, PR China; *Corresponding author; also affiliated with: State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS), Nanjing 210008, PR China. Received 13.7.2011; revised 19.9.2011, accepted 27.9.2011.