New Fossil Procercopidae (Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha) from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China

A new fossil species,Anthoscytina macula sp.nov.,of the family Procercopidae is described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Huangbanjigou,Chaomidian Village,Beipiao City,Liaoning Province,China.A key to the species of the genus Anthoscytina Hong,1983 is provided.The diagnosis of the genus is revised.     

New fossil species of the Venicoridae (Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China

Specimens of the Venicoridae (Heteroptera) occur in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in northeastern China. We describe a new genus and two new species Halonatusivena shii gen. et sp. nov. and Halonatusivena nervosus sp. nov. from this formation. The veins of the membrane are distinctive; the edges of veins are not simple but resemble an irregular stain, with a reduced vasiform structure previously unknown in the Heteroptera. Remarkably, the antennae of one of the specimens of Halonatusivena shii exhibit morphological abnormality. An identification key for the known species of the Venicoridae is provided.     

A new species of Oviparosiphidae (Hemiptera: Aphidomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

A new species Oviparosiphum stictum sp. nov. is described and assigned to the extinct family Oviparosiphidae from the Lower Cretaceous of Yixian Formation at the Huangbanjigou, Beipiao City, Liaoning, China. Well-developed ovipositors in several extinct families of Mesozoic aphids further demonstrates that oviparity is a plesiomorphic state.     

Systematic revision of the fossil snakefly family Baissopteridae (Insecta: Raphidioptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of China,with description of a new genus and three new species

The fossil snakefly family Baissopteridae from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Barremian) of the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China is reviewed. Two genera and five species of Baissopteridae are recorded, including a new genus, namely Microbaissoptera gen. nov., and three new species, i.e., Baissoptera bicolor sp. nov., Baissoptera sinica sp. nov., and Microbaissoptera monosticha sp. nov. Moreover, Baissoptera euneura Ren, 1997 is herein treated as a new junior synonymy of Baissoptera grandis Ren in Ren et al., 1995. Baissoptera minima Ponomarenko, 1993 is transferred to the presently described new genus Microbaissoptera gen. nov. based on the small body-size and the presence of a single gradate series of crossveins in radial and medial areas of posterior part of both fore- and hind wings. A key to genera of Baissopteridae is provided.     

New genera and species of bark-gnawing beetles (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae) from the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Western Liaoning,China

Two new genera from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, northeastern China are described and illustrated. Paracretocateres gen. nov. (type species P. bellus, sp. nov.) and Yixianteres gen. nov. (type species Y. beipiaoensis sp. nov.) are assigned to the subfamily Lophocaterinae based on the state of the procoxae which are not projecting, the transverse procoxal cavities, and the exposed protochantins. The new taxa broaden the diversity of this family and provide further morphological characters for phylogenetic studies of Trogossitidae. They also provide evidence that lophocaterines well-diversified prior to the trogossitines and their biologies may have been similar to extant forms.     

A new genus of Scoliidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast China

A new genus and species of Scoliidae (Hymenoptera), Sinoproscolia yangshuwanziensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Inner Mongolia, China and attributed to the subfamily Proscoliinae. Some characteristics, including complete crossveins 1r-rs and 2r-m in the forewing, and a free section present in almost all longitudinal veins indicate a basal position of the new genus in Proscoliinae. The presence of vein 2A suggests its atavistic origin in Sinoproscolia gen. nov. rather than a true plesiomorphy.     

A new species of Leptotarsus (Diptera: Tipulidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil

Leptotarsus (sensu lato) lukashevichae sp. nov. is described and illustrated, based on a single but very well preserved female specimen from the Crato Formation of Brazil (Aptian, ca. 112 Ma). Along with other Leptotarsus species recently described from Lower Cretaceous beds of Brazil, Spain, Russia and China, this new species is among the oldest known records of the genus Leptotarsus and the family Tipulidae.     

A new species of Chifengiinae (Orthoptera: Prophalangopsidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation of the Jiuquan Basin,Northwest China

A new orthopteran species, Ashanga jiuquanensis Wang and Zhang sp. nov., is assigned to the subfamily Chifengiinae of Prophalangopsidae (Insecta: Orthoptera) and is reported based on male and female forewings from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation in the Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, Northwest China. The discovery of the new species extends not only the age range of the subfamily Chifengiinae, but also the geographical distribution of the genus Ashanga.     

中国辽宁义县早白垩世燕鸟一新种

辽宁锦州义县早白垩世义县组发现了一种新型燕鸟(Yanornis)化石.该新型化石具有燕鸟的典型特征,如齿骨直且约占头骨全长的2/3、每侧约含20枚牙齿,颈椎细长,异凹型.愈合荐椎包括9枚脊椎,前肢约为后肢长的1.1倍.近端脚趾较其它趾节长和粗壮.然而,该新型化石部分特征又不同于燕鸟的模式种——马氏燕鸟(Yanornis martini),如其肱骨三角肌脊强烈发育,约为肱骨长度的一半.尺骨、桡骨及手部近等长,均长于肱骨.耻骨联合部较短,与尾综骨等长,不到耻骨长度的1/6.腓骨较长,约为股骨长度的4/5,约为胫跗骨长度的2/3.跗跖骨较短并完全愈合,不及胫跗骨长度一半.根据该新型化石的独特性及其与义县鸟、松岭鸟和马氏燕鸟的特征对比,笔者建立了燕鸟一新种——国章燕鸟(Yanornis guozhangisp.nov.).此外,国章燕鸟(新种)颈部还保存有3条鱼化石,这一特殊现象为研究燕鸟的生活习性和发育模式提供了重要信息.     

Two new glaphyrids (Coleoptera,Scarabaeoidea) from the Jehol Biota,China

Two new species, Cretohypna puncta sp. nov. and Cretohypna robusta sp. nov., of Glaphyridae are described and illustrated. These fossils were collected from the Jehol Biota, Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liutiaogou Village in Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia, China. Up to date, 18 fossil species in 6 genera of Glaphyridae have been reported, among which ten species are from China. Respective keys to the Mesozoic genera of Glaphyridae and to species of Cretohypna Yan, Nikolajev & Ren, 2012 are provided. This is the first report of spiracles in fossil Glaphyridae leading to a hypothesis that the character of the 7th abdominal spiracles present in pleural membrane is a plesiomorphy for Glaphyridae.     

A remarkable new genus of basal snakeflies (Insecta: Raphidioptera: Priscaenigmatomorpha) from the Early Cretaceous of China

Chrysoraphidia relicta gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) of the Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China. Its venation is characterized by a mixture of character states that occur mainly in the Neuroptera and Raphidioptera. The assignment of Chrysoraphidia gen. nov. to Raphidioptera is supported by the presence of its distinct pterostigma and the configuration of the wing vein ‘subcosta anterior’. It is interpreted as the first record of a group of basal snakeflies (Priscaenigmatomorpha) from the Cretaceous of Asia, hitherto known only from the Early Jurassic of Europe.     

A new hangingfly (Insecta,Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the Purbeck Limestone Group (Lower Cretaceous) of southern England and a review of Cretaceous Bittacidae

Rapid radiation of the Bittacidae during the Jurassic resulted in high diversity within this family of Mecoptera. More than 40 species within 23 genera have been described from this period. However, around the end of the Jurassic the abundance and diversity of Bittacidae decreased and only seven species in five genera are known to date from the Cretaceous. A new specimen from the basal Cretaceous of England, Tytthobittacus jarzembowski sp. nov., described here, represents the eighth species and the second fossil representative of this family from the European Cretaceous. This hangingfly belongs to an extant and relictual genus previously known only from Australia. The paper also includes a review of all known Cretaceous bittacids and a re-examination of European species Antiquanabittacus nanus Petrulevičius and Jarzembowski, 2004.     

The first fossil species of subfamily Piestinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

Two new Early Cretaceous fossil rove beetle species, Paleosiagonium brevelytratum n. gen. n. sp. and Paleosiagonium adaequatum n. gen. n. sp. are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. They are clearly placed in the extant Piestinae according to the following characters: body elongate and flat; anterior coxae small and globose; abdomen long and parallel-sided, with six visible sterna and one pair of paratergites on segments III–VII. This is the first report on the occurrence of the coleopteran subfamily Piestinae in the fossil record. The new discoveries indicate that Piestinae have originated at least by the Early Cretaceous, at about 125–120 Ma.     

辽宁建昌早白垩世孔子鸟一新材料

记述了辽宁建昌头道营子早白垩世九佛堂组发现的孔子鸟化石一新种—建昌孔子鸟(Confuci-usornis jianchangensis sp.nov.)。尽管新种缺失前肢及肩带,还是在许多特征上很容易与属型种(圣贤孔子鸟)相区别。例如,个体小、鳞骨近三角形、方骨粗大、齿骨前端有突起、跗蹠骨近端愈合、第V跗蹠骨不存在和尾综骨粗大等。新种是孔子鸟类在建昌地区的首次发现,对于展示孔子鸟类的多样性等具有较重要意义。     

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.     

A New Troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning, China

A specimen collected from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China, represents a new genus and species of troodontid theropod. The new taxon is named and described on the basis of the holotype and the only known specimen, which comprises an articulated skeleton with the presacral vertebral, shoulder girdle and forelimbs missing as preserved. Diagnostic features of the new species include nasals that are sinusoid in lateral view, absence of a passage connecting the antorbital and maxillary fenestrae, relatively large teeth, plate-like chevrons forming a band along most of the length of the tail, and a long neck between the femoral head and shaft. The temporal constraints of the three paravian groups (Troodontidae, Dromaeosauridae and Aves) combined with the character distributions among the earliest known troodontids indicate a rapid evolution at the base of the Troodontidae.     

Pygostyle-like Structure from Beipiaosaurus (Theropoda, Therizinosauroidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China

Pygostyle was previously considered as a unique structure of ornithothoracine birds, used to maneuver tail feathers. A similar structure from an oviraptorosaurian dinosaur was considered functionally associated with the rectrices as in birds. We report a pygostyle-like structure from a therizinosauroid dinosaur. The presence of filamentous integuments, but absence of rectrices, on the tail of this therizinosauroid, combined with other lines of evidence, suggests that the initial function of the pygostyle was not related to the rectrices.     

On the Lower Cretaceous in Yixian County of Jinzhou City, Western Liaoning, China

Traditionally, the lacustrine deposits in Yixian County of Western Liaoning have been assigned to either “the Dakangpu Bed” of the Yixian Formation or the Jiufotang Formation. However, a 206Pb/238U age of 126.47±0.87 Ma is newly obtained from the tuff sample (06051) of the lacustrine deposits in the Baitaigou fossil site of Potaizi village, Yixian County, indicating that the lacustrine deposits in Potaizi area are approximately equivalent to the Wumingshan volcanics of the Sihetun Bed of the Yixian Formation in Beipiao. From our new dating data have arisen some new problems: Where could we find the Jiufotang Formation in Yixian County? How widely distributed is the Jiufotang Formation in Western Liaoning? Could the traditionally named Jiufotang Formation somewhere in Western Liaoning be the synchronous deposits of other litho-units (e.g. the Yixian Formation) in different facies? Could some lacustrine deposits somewhere in Western Liaoning have been assigned to the Jiufotang Formation?     

Early Cretaceous Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha) from the Lebanese amber

Four new, monotypic genera of Aleyrodidae from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber are described: Shapashe aithiopa gen. sp. nov.; Milqartis azari gen. sp. nov.; Aretsaya therina gen. sp. nov.; and Yamis libanotos gen. sp. nov. All new taxa represent subfamily Aleurodicinae. The key for identification of genera of Aleurodicinae from the Lebanese amber is provided. The morphological features of newly established taxa are discussed. The importance of the fossils for phylogenetic, evolutionary and ecological studies is presented.     

A New Angiosperm Genus from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Western Liaoning, China

The abundant fossils of early angiosperms found in the Yixian Formation (125 Ma, Early Cretaceous) have demonstrated unexpectedly high diversity and various reproductive strategies, and thus have shed new light on early angiosperm evolution. Here, using light microscope and scanning electron microscope, we document several fructifications of Baicarpus gen. nov. from Liaoning province, China. Each fructification of the new taxon includes several apocarpous carpels/fruits attached in an urn-formed gynobase. Each fruit/carpel has a persistent straight style and an ovary enclosing a single seed. These fossil plants demonstrate a new floral organization and thus enhance our understanding of the diversity of angiosperms in the Yixian Formation. Together with previously reported ones, this fossil angiosperm suggests an origin time for angiosperms earlier than widely accepted.