A new species of Bittacidae sensu lato (Mecoptera) from the Callovian-Oxfordian: new Jurassic locality of insect body fossils from Patagonia, Argentina

PETRULEVICIUS, J. F.

Vitoria-Gasteiz

Congreso; IV International Congress of Paleoentomology, II International Meeting on Paleoarthropodology, y III Amber International Congress (?Fossil X3?); 2007

IPS - International Palaeoentomological Society

Jurassic insects are very rare in the Southern Hemisphere. This is due in part to the lack of paleoentomologists but could also be due to a deficient (with respect to Eurasia) preservation of environments suitable for the presence of Jurassic insects. The latter hypothesis could be tested only by renewed efforts in the prospecting of Southern Hemisphere Jurassic formations. A recently discovered locality, situated in Chubut province, Patagonia, Argentina, showed a collection of insects which until now can be counted with the fingers of a hand but seems to be potentially very productive. The locality, called Gan Gan, is considered to be Middle-Upper Jurassic (Callovian-Oxfordian). In Gan Gan, there are firstly recorded larval tubes and head capsules of Chironomidae (Andrade de Moraye and Genise, Abstracts: 3rd Internat. Palaeoentomol. Congr.), but also body fossils of insects have been found, which are quite good preserved and in part articulated. An especially interesting specimen with haired overlapped wings and parts of body, head, and legs could be included into the Bittacidae sensu lato. The specimen seems to belong to the stem group of the Bittacidae, the ?Neorthophlebidae?, and represents a new genus. Other insects recovered in the locality belong to Hemiptera and Coleoptera.