The discovery of a new family Sunopteridae fam. nov. (Insecta: Protorthoptera) from Shaanxi Province,China

The fossil specimens discussed in this paper were collected from the grayish green mudstone and shale in the upper part of Lower Member of Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation (T2t) in Shaanxi Province, China. Venationary feature correlation with old families and taxonomic discussion show that, among them, one specimen can be assigned to a new family - Sunopteridae fam. nov., which includes a new genus and species and can be referred to Order Protorthoptera Handlirsch, 1906 in taxonomic position, thus belonging to a new member of the Tongchuan Entomoassemblage of Shaanxi Entomofauna (belonging to Shaanxi Biota). The discovery of the new family and its new genus and species has certain reference values as follows: ① The discovery of the new family and its new genus and species fills firstly the vacancy in the protorthopterous field of China; ② In the meantime, it fills also the gaps of the valuable Middle Triassic protorthopterous fossil specimens between Late Carboniferous and Late Triassic Epochs in the world; ③ Judging from venationary features and taxonomic position, especially in the course of the formation of the merged vein of M and Cu, it formed a new unique and particular style of merged vein M+Cu. It not only is unique and simple, but also can be distinguished from the above mentioned 10 old families, thus providing important taxonomic evidence.

在中国陕西发现孙氏翅新科(昆虫纲：原直翅目)

化石标本采自陕西省铜川地区中三叠统铜川组下层上部灰绿色泥岩、页岩。通过对标本脉序的研究，与原直翅目的10个比较接近的老科对比和分类的讨论，其中有1个标本可以确认为1个新科——孙氏翅科(Sunopteridae fam. nov.)，含1个新属种，在分类位置上应归于原直翅目(Protorthoptera Handlirsch，1906)；也为陕西昆虫群(属陕西生物群)铜川昆虫组合提供了新的成员。新科、属、种的发现有一定的参考价值：①首次填补了中国中三叠世原直翅目研究领域的空白；②又填补了世界原直翅目昆虫化石从晚石炭世至晚三叠世之间中三叠世原直翅目昆虫化石的空缺，标本虽少，但很珍贵；③从脉序特征和分类位置来看，M与CuA合并脉的过程形成一个独特的M+Cu合并脉的新类型。它不但独特而且简单，可以与上述10个老科区别，为分类提供了重要的依据。