Corresponding author: Dong Ren (
Academic editor: Dmitry Shcherbakov
The
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Recently, we collected two fossils of
The Early Cretaceous specimens were collected from the Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou Village, in Shangyuan Township, near Beipiao City of Liaoning Province, China. There is general agreement that the age of the Yixian Formation is of late Barremian age, based on 40Ar/39Ar date of 125 Ma on sanidine and biotite minerals (
This study is based on two fossil specimens housed in the fossil insect collection of the Key Laboratory of Insect Evolution & Environmental Changes, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China (CNUB; Dong Ren, Curator). The specimens were examined using a Leica MZ12.5 dissecting microscope, and illustrated with the aid of a drawing tube and formatted through Adobe Photoshop CS2 software.
The wing venation nomenclature used in this paper is based on the interpretations and system proposed by Novokshonov (
Moderate-sized insects, mouthpart position most probably opisthognathous; hypognathous placement possible. Adults have a remarkably prolonged, siphonate proboscis, its exterior covered with well-developed dense hairs or microtrichia arranged in distinct annulae; terminus surrounded by a distinctive, lobed, fleshy pseudolabellum. Antennae distinctly longer than proboscis, multiarticulate; articles covered with annulate hairs. Forewing elongate. Sc with multiple branches. Both Rs and MA bifurcating; MP 4-branched. CuA single or probably bifurcating. Hindwing distinctly broader than forewing. Hairs on legs arranged in distinctive rings.
In addition to the type genus,
The genus name is derived from the Jehol Biota; and
In the forewing, Sc with three branches. R1 single. MP originates from stem of MP+CuA a little earlier (more basally) than Rs+MA from R. The Rs+MA bifurcation distinctly basad of the first bifurcation of MP. Both fore- and mid basitarsus shorter than remaining four segments in combined length. The basitarsus in hindlegs almost equal to remaining four segments in combined length.
Type species only.
In the general venation scheme, the
The specific name refers to Liaoning Province, which includes the site of the fossil’s discovery.
An almost complete male specimen with well-preserved body and wings, part and counterpart, specimen numbers CNU-M-LB-2005-002-1 and CNU-M-LB-2005-002-2. Forewing length (preserved part) at least 21.5 mm, width 6 mm; body length (excluding antennae and proboscis) minimally 23 mm; proboscis length 6.8 mm; antenna length (preserved part) minimally 10 mm.
A poorly-preserved specimen of unknown sex with body and wings, lateral view, specimen number CNU-M-LB-2005-001 (
Huangbanjigou Village, Shangyuan Township, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China. Yixian Formation, of Early Cretaceous (late Barremian) age.
Male: The specimen shows details of a nearly complete insect (
Photo image of
Photo image of
Photo image of head and antennae of
Line drawing of
Line drawing of
Line drawing of forewing of
Photo image of proboscis of
Line drawing of proboscis of
Photo image of hind tarsi of
We thank Dr. Alexandr Rasnitsyn for his contribution to the study of long-proboscid scorpionflies in Ren et al. (2009), and his preparation of the mouthparts of the Holotype CNU-M-LB-2005-002-2. We appreciate valuable comments and suggestion from Dr. Dmitry Shcherbakov and two anonymous reviewers. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 30430100 and 40872022), Nature Science Foundation of Beijing (Grant 5082002), and the Scientific Research Key Program and PHR Project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education. This is contribution 151 of the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Consortium at the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C.