ENLARGEMENT OF THE AGUA DE LA ZORRA PALEOENTOMOFAUNA (UPPER TRIASSIC), CUYANA BASIN, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

BUSTOS ESCALONA, EVELYN LUZ; PEDERNERA, TOMÁS E.; ADRIANA CECILIA MANCUSO

General Roca, Río Negro

Congreso; REUNIÓN DE COMUNICACIONES DE LA ASOCIACIÓN PALEONTOLÓGICA ARGENTINA; 2023

Asociación Paleontológica Argentina

The Agua de la Zorra Formation (Cacheuta Group, Cuyana Basin) crops out in the northwest of Mendoza Province, at the Paramillos de Uspallata area. This geological unit is attributed to the Upper Triassic, and the depositional environment is interpreted as a lacustrine-deltaic setting influenced by volcanic activity. Its paleontological record encompasses macro plant remains, both vegetative and reproductive structures, and palynomorphs. Invertebrates include freshwater spinicaudatan and insects. While the vertebrates recorded are fish and archosaurs. Trace fossils of and in invertebrates and vertebrate ichnites were also recorded. Until now, insects were only represented by scarce remains assigned to Coleoptera. Here, we present a total of 26 insect remains were collected during the last paleontological fieldwork (2023). The insect remains were found in two distinct facies: distal lacustrine facies of the center of the lake, and proximal lacustrine facies indicating deposits in the prodelta zone. The insect remains were examined using a binocular microscope and, up to now, systematic identification was done at Order level. Complete bodies and isolated or articulated components such as elytra, wings, and clavae, are preserved as compressions. The analysis revealed the presence of remains belonging to five insect orders: Coleoptera, Blattodea, Hemiptera, Mecoptera, and Miomoptera. Therefore, the paleoentomofauna record for the Agua de la Zorra Formation, which was primarily limited to the Coleoptera, is now enlarged in four additional orders enhancing the diversity and understanding of the paleoentomofauna within the Upper Triassic.