A new palaeodictyopterid (Insecta: Palaeodictyoptera: Spilapteridae) from the Upper Carboniferous of China supports a close relationship between insect faunas of Quilianshian (northern China) and Laurussia
Abstract
A new palaeodictyopterid Sinodunbaria jarmilae gen. et sp. nov. (Spilapteridae) is described and illustrated from the Upper Carboniferous (Namurian) Tupo Formation of northern China (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region). The new taxon, based on the fore- and hindwing venation pattern, is attributed to Spilapteridae and compared with other spilapterid genera within Spilapteroidea.
A character matrix was assembled to separate the genera of three families within Spilapteroidea and the systematics of Spilapteridae is re-evaluated. We restore the attribution of Bojoptera (monotypic, B. colorata Kukalova, 1958) to Spilapteridae based on re-examination of the holotype and point out several corrections to the original description.
Moreover, owing to fragmentary preservation and a new interpretation of the wing venation of Sheltoweeptera Brauckmann, Chesnut & Jennings, 1993 (based on S. redbirdi from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Kentucky, USA), we consider that genus to be a junior synonym of Homaloneura Brongniart, 1885. Differences between the insect faunas of Euramerica and North China during the early Late Carboniferous (Bashkirian) possibly reflected a faunal contrast between tropical and temperate zones.