Brochocolein beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast China and southern England

Lower Cretaceous beetles belonging to the extinct tribe Brochocoleini (Coleoptera: Cupedidae: Ommatinae) are revised and five new species proposed in the extinct Eurasian genus Brochocoleus: Brochocoleus yangshuwanziensis sp. nov. (Yixian Formation, China); Brochocoleus crowsonae sp. nov., Brochocoleus keenani sp. nov., Brochocoleus tobini sp. nov. (Weald Clay Group, UK); and Brochocoleus maximus sp. nov. (Purbeck Limestone Group, UK). New morphological data is provided for Brochocoleus impressus and Brochocoleus sulcatus stat. nov. of which Brochocoleus angustus is considered a synonym (Yixian Fm.). The hindwing venation is described for the first time supporting the basal position of this tribe. A simple key is provided to all Cretaceous species of this presumably xylophagous, warm climate genus.     

First record of a weevil (Coleoptera: Nemonychidae) from the Lower Cretaceous (Wealden) of southern England

A new weevil, Oxycorynoides bucklowae sp. nov. is described from the lower Barremian Upper Weald Clay Formation of south Surrey, UK. The new species differs from other species of the nominative subgenus in the large body size; large, elongate eyes; and distinctly curved rostrum. It approaches but is also distinguished from the Berriasian-Hauterivian Oxycorynoides mongolicus Zherikhin, 1986 and O. gurvanensis Legalov, 2010 from Mongolia by the long metaventrite from the former species, and by the short rostrum from the latter.     

An ichthyosaur (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) specimen from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian) Spilsby Sandstone Formation of Nettleton,Lincolnshire, UK

A fragmentary ichthyosaur specimen collected in situ at Castle Top Quarry in Nettleton, Lincolnshire, UK from exposures of the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian) Spilsby Sandstone Formation (Subcraspedites ?preplicomphalus Zone) is reported. In general, Early Cretaceous ichthyosaurs from the Berriasian to Barremian are poorly understood. Despite the fragmentary nature of the described specimen, it is the first ichthyosaur reported from this specific zone and adds to the literature another rare ichthyosaur from the Berriasian.     

Epifaunal worm tubes on Lower Jurassic (Lower Lias) ammonites from Dorset

Over 40 ammonites, mostly Promicroceras, with epifaunal worm tubes are described from the Lower Jurassic, Charmouth Mudstone Formation (Lias Group) of Dorset. Serpulids that were overgrown by the ammonites or responded to the ammonites’ growth attached to juvenile, living ammonites. Some epifaunal serpulids attached post-mortem, indicating oxygenated bottom water, which was rare in the lower Charmouth Mudstone Formation. Other serpulids do not conform to either pre- or post-mortem growth predictions and require individual assessment. The commonest pattern of growth for serpulids on live juvenile ammonites was attachment in the umbilical seam, with later growth onto, and finally around, the venter. Reconstructing this pattern shows that serpulids kept their aperture at 6 o’clock with respect to the orientation of the living ammonite (105-115° behind the ammonite aperture) throughout life. Reorientation of growth lines in serpulid worms just before the aperture suggests some worm tubes were fully grown. The 6 o’clock position of the aperture enabled feeding currents generated by the worms to parallel currents generated by swimming ammonites, thus maximizing food gathering and confirming that ammonites swam backwards. The mid-ventral position enabled the worm to deploy its branchia on both sides of the ammonite. Growth on ammonites was beneficial to the worms, but parasitic to the ammonites. Promicroceras with epifaunal worm tubes died at smaller sizes than unencumbered examples and size at death correlates inversely to extra weight of worm tubes. Uniformitarian comparisons suggest fossil serpulid worms grew in one season and that Promicroceras reached full size in two or three years.     

New records of rare ammonite species from the Inferior Oolite Formation (Middle Jurassic,Aalenian and Lower Bajocian) of Dorset

Rare ammonite species are reported from the Inferior Oolite Formation of Dorset. In the Aalenian the ammonite Shahrudites is described from the Scissum Zone for the first time and Malladaites is recorded from the Murchisonae Zone. Tmetoceras regleyi occurs in the Scissum and Murchisonae zones and Tmetoceras henriquesae is described from the Concavum Zone. In the Lower Bajocian, specimens of Zurcheria are presented from the Discites Zone. A revised zonal scheme is used for the Aalenian Stage and two new biohorizons are introduced. The Leioceras subglabrum biohorizon is erected in the Opalinum Subzone and Leioceras evolutum in the Bifidatum Subzone.     

A new species of Vetanthocoridae (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

A new species, Crassicerus limpiduspterus sp. n., is characterized, described and assigned to the tribe Crassicerini of the fossil family Vetanthocoridae. All of the specimens were collected from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Chaomidian Village, Liaoning Province. The Crassicerini are interpreted to have thrived in live plant habitats, including flowers, shrubs and trees, based on their antennal type.     

A new species of fossil Procercopidae (Hemiptera,Cicadomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeastern China

New fossil genus with a new species, Stellularis longirostris Chen, Yao and Ren, gen. et sp. nov., from the family Procercopidae, are described. New specimens were collected from the Lower Cretaceous non-marine sedimentary strata from the Yixian Formations of northeast China. The exceptionally well-preserved materials reveal fine details of the body structure and morphology including rostrum, legs, abdomen, anteclypeus and ovipositor. The genera Luanpingia Hong, 1983 and Cathaycixius Ren, Lu, and Guo, 1995 are discussed.     

The earliest pygidicranid (Insecta: Dermaptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

A new earwig genus with a new species, Cylindopygia falcata gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on two well-preserved, nearly complete female specimens from the Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation in Huangbanjigou, Liaoning Province, China. C. falcata is assigned to Pygidicranidae mainly due to the following characters: head obtuse-triangular with posterior margin straight, abdomen robust, subcylindrical and densely setose, and femora compressed and carinate. The new finding represents the earliest fossil record of Pygidicranidae and the first record of Pygidicranidae in China.     

New fossil flower bugs (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha: Cimicoidea: Vetanthocoridae) with uniquely long ovipositor from the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous), China

A new genus and new species, Longilanceolatus tenellus gen. et sp. nov., is described and assigned to the tribe Vetanthocorini of the fossil family Vetanthocoridae. In addition, a new species, Curvicaudus spinosus sp. nov., is also described. All specimens were collected from the Lower Cretaceous of the Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou, Chaomidian Village, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Body size, ovipositor length, abdomen length, and other characters of eleven genera from the Middle Jurassic to Eocene are summarized. Comparison of body size of all specimens in the Vetanthocoridae and Anthocoridae (sensu lato) indicate a general trend toward smaller body size through their evolution. Moreover, Longilanceolatus, with uniquely long ovipositor, is related to a different type of oviposition compared with extant flower bugs.     

Thoracican cirripedes (Crustacea) from the Hauterivian (Lower Cretaceous) of Hannover,northern Germany

Diverse thoracican cirripedes from the Hauterivian of the Hannover district of northern Germany are described, including seven species, belonging to five genera. Of these, a new genus belonging to the Scalpellidae, Jaegerscalpellum, includes one Hauterivian species, J. elegans sp. nov., an Aptian species, J. comptum (Withers, 1910) and an Albian species, J. politum (Darwin, 1851) are also referred to it. A new Cretiscalpellum, C. mutterlosei sp. nov. is described from the Hauterivian, and C. matrioni sp. nov. is described from the Middle Albian of France. The oldest record of the Unilatera Gale, 2018, Pedupycnolepas pulcher sp. nov. is described from the Hauterivian; this displays typical shell structure of the group, retained by living Verrucidae. Finally, four species of Zeugmatolepadidae, subfamily Martillepadinae, are recorded from the Hauterivian, including Martillepas hausmanni (Koch and Dunker, 1836), M. decoratus sp. nov., M. auriculum sp. nov. and Etcheslaepas borealis (Collins, 1990). The Hauterivian fauna from Hannover shows affinities both with Late Jurassic and later Cretaceous (Aptian-Cenomanian) forms, and includes the earliest scalpellids, unilateran (Pedupycnolepas) and Cretiscalpellum species known. It constrains the age of the Cretaceous cirripede evolutionary radiation to the earliest Cretaceous.     

A new family of scorpionflies (Insecta; Mecoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of England

Seven specimens of fossil scorpionflies (Mecoptera) not assignable to any known family were discovered in the Wealden Supergroup (Lower Cretaceous) of southern England. They were found at Rudgwick Brickworks, West Sussex and Smokejacks Brickworks, Surrey and came from the Upper Weald Clay Formation, dated as Barremian (∼129.4–125 Ma). A new family – Englathaumatidae fam. nov., new genus – Englathauma gen. nov. and two new species E. crabbi sp. nov. and E. mellishae sp. nov. are described. A discussion of systematic position of these new taxa within the order Mecoptera is given. Englathaumatidae fam. nov. has been a nomen nudum since the year 2002, due to the first author's untimely death.     

A tubiculous perspective: New caddisfly cases (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of southern England and comparison with the Chinese indusifauna

New finds reveal that cases of larval caddisflies (indusifauna) are widespread aquatic domichnia in Eurasian non-marine deposits. 16 new ichnospecies are described in 6 ichnogenera from the Wealden Supergroup (Lower Cretaceous) of southeast England, mainly from the Ashdown Formation (Valanginian), but some also from the Weald Clay Group (Hauterivian–Barremian). New ispp. are: Terrindusia valdensis isp. nov., T. anomala isp. nov.; Secrindusia sarahae isp. nov.; Conchindusia dianae isp. nov., C. elderi isp. nov., C. goodmani isp. nov.; Pelindusia duprati isp. nov.; ?Ostracindusia mixta isp. nov.; Folindusia stouti isp. nov., F. bipennis isp. nov., F. ruffordi isp. nov., F. chiasma isp. nov., F. woodhamsi isp. nov., F. boothi isp. nov., F. avancnae isp. nov., and F. whitei isp. nov. Two new forms, a variety and aberration of Conchindusia (an igen. with no modern analogue) are also recognised. The first Chinese isp. (Conchindusia sinensis isp. nov.) is described from the Yixian Formation (Aptian) and 31 morphotypes are listed from eight Lower Cretaceous Chinese formations.The aquatic palaeoenvironment and palaeoecology are discussed. The UK indusifauna is dominated by Conchindusia–Folindusia in contrast to a Terrindusia dominance in China; furthermore, the UK EPT (Ephemeroptera–Plecoptera–Trichoptera) richness is skewed towards Trichoptera. This reflects differences in the fluvio-lagoonal and fluvio-lacustrine settings, respectively.     

A forefin of Leptonectes solei from the Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Dorset,UK

An incomplete forefin in the collections of the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, is herein assigned to the rare leptonectid species, Leptonectes solei, known only from the west Dorset coast. It is only the third specimen of the species and is smaller than both the holotype and referred specimen. The new specimen is from the Lower Jurassic (lower Pliensbachian, Charmouth Mudstone Formation, Tragophylloceras ibex Ammonite Zone, Acanthopleuroceras valdani Ammonite Subzone) of Seatown, Dorset, UK. It confirms that all three species of Leptonectes were present in the Pliensbachian and expands the known diversity of ichthyosaurs for that time period. We show that isolated forefins of Leptonectes can be assigned to a species with a high degree of confidence.     

The thoracican cirripede genus Concinnalepas Gale, 2014 (Crustacea) from the Middle and Upper Jurassic of southern England and northern France

New material of the cirripede genus Concinnalepas is described from the Kimmeridge Clay (Tithonian) of Dorset (UK) and the Marnes de Port (Bathonian) of Port-en-Bessin in Normandy (France). Articulated specimens of C. costata (Withers, 1928), attached to driftwood from Kimmeridge, provide hitherto unknown details of tiered lateral plate formation in the species, and Concinnalepas bessinensis sp. nov. and C. rugosa sp. nov. are described from Normandy and Dorset, respectively. Concinnalepas bessinensis sp. nov. is the oldest calcite-shelled cirripede known to date. A review of the distribution of Jurassic calcareous cirripedes demonstrates that pre-Kimmeridgian records are very sparse and scattered and the early evolutionary history of the group is poorly known. The late Kimmeridgian and Tithonian saw a radiation of the Family Zeugmatolepadidae and a great increase in abundance of cirripedes that mostly lived as epiplankton, attached to driftwood and ammonite shells.     

Amended diagnosis of Colveraia variabilis Klinghardt, 1921 (Bivalvia) from Friuli (NE Italy) and redescription of Colveraia darendeensis Karacabey, 1974 from Turkey: Taxonomy,comparisons and biogeography

An examination of the historical material of Colveraia variabilis Klinghardt, 1921 housed in the collections of the Steinmann Institute of Palaeontology (Bonn, Germany) and of some newly collected specimens from the type area of Mt. Jouf (Friuli, NE Italy) has revealed many previously unknown characters of this radiolitid. Klinghardt had only large fragments of Colveraia variabilis at his disposal and he erred in some respects, mainly by mistaking the upper valve for the lower one. Representatives of the genus Colveraia have been collected at different localities of the Central-Eastern Mediterranean Tethys and the Arabian Plate, but the majority of these have never been described in detail or have been identified solely on the basis of transverse sections, except in Turkey, where many well-preserved specimens have been recovered. Historical and new examples of Colveraia variabilis from Mt. Jouf and the material recovered from Turkish localities show different external characters as far as radial zone, general shell shape and ornamentation are concerned. These lead us to assign all Turkish specimens to Colveraia darendeensis Karacabey, 1974, which is here described in detail. Comparisons with congeneric forms from the Central-Eastern Mediterranean Tethys and the Arabian Plate are also made.     

A new record and cuticular structure of Meyeria magna (Decapoda,Mecochiridae) from the lower Albian (Lower Cretaceous) of Colombia

Eleven specimens of the lobster Meyeria magna from the Simití Formation (Santander Province, Colombia) represent a new occurrence for this species in South America. Ammonites collected both below and above the bed that yielded M. magna allow dating of these specimens as early Albian. Morphological characteristics observed in these Colombian specimens were compared with those of other specimens from Mexico, the United Kingdom and Spain. Our interpretation of the cuticular structure in thin section does not unambiguously allow interpretation of the specimens studied to corpses or molts.     

New Eoptychoptera (Insecta: Diptera,Ptychopteridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain

A new species, Eoptychoptera cantabrica sp. nov. is described from the Albian El Soplao amber-bearing deposits based on a single male with an elongated proboscis, unknown among extant members of Ptychopteridae. It represents the youngest record of the species-diverse genus Eoptychoptera. A pupa of Eoptychoptera sp. with a long respiratory horn, typical of extant ptychopterids, is described from Las Hoyas limestones, where adult fossil ptychopterids have yet to be discovered. A key to species of Eoptychoptera, based on wing venation, and a distribution map of Cretaceous Ptychopteridae are provided. The climatic preferences and mouthparts of Mesozoic and recent Ptychopteridae are discussed.     

Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in otoliths record spatial isolation of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides)

Strong contrasts in ambient isotope ratios and in diet suggest stable isotopes in the otoliths of oceanic fish can resolve water masses and geographic areas, promising a powerful multivariate approach for examining population structure and provenance. To test this, whole otoliths were taken from Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) sampled off the Patagonian Shelf and South Georgia, on either side of a population boundary, and otolith δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values were measured to see if they could distinguish South American-caught fish from those taken in the Antarctic. Values of otolith δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C predicted capture area with 100% success, validating their use for distinguishing provenance and corroborating the prior evidence of population isolation. Values of δ¹⁸O in the otoliths reflected ambient values as well as seawater temperature: low values in Patagonian Shelf fish were consistent with exposure to Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), and high values in South Georgia fish were consistent with exposure to Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW). In contrast, differences in otolith δ¹³C appeared to reflect diet: relative depletion of otolith δ¹³C at South Georgia compared to the Patagonian Shelf were most likely linked to differences in sources of metabolic carbon, as well as δ¹³C in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of seawater. These contrasting properties strongly suggest that stable isotopes can resolve the provenance of toothfish from Antarctic sampling areas that hitherto have been difficult to separate. These results show that, by using the chemistry recorded in otoliths, researchers can exploit biogeochemical variation in fully marine environments to examine the spatial ecology of oceanic fish.