Phylogenetic and biogeographical remarks on Thyridates (Mecoptera: Bittacidae), with the first fossil record of the taxon

PETRULEVICIUS, J. F.

Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, special issue, Fossil Insects; Proc. II International Congress on Palaeoentomology

Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences

Lugar: Cracovia; Año: 2003 vol. 46 p. 257 - 265

0065-1710

Until now, Thyridates was considered an American genus. In this work seven African species of Bittacus are transferred to Thyridates: T. stanleyi (Byers, 1968), T. erythrostigma (Byers, 1975), T. weelei (Esben-Petersen, 1913), T. nebulosus (Klug, 1838), T. testaceous (Klug, 1838), T. oreinus (Navás, 1914), and T. chevalieri (Navás, 1908). A new species of Thyridates from the late Paleocene of Argentina is described. The geographic relationships between species of the genus suggest the idea of a Gondwanan origin of this group before separation of Africa and South America in the Lower Cretaceous.