Two new genera of giant lacewings (Insecta, Neuroptera, Ithonidae) from the Middle Jurassic of China

ABSTRACT

Two new genera and species of Ithonidae, i.e. Stictopolystoechotes sparsulus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov. and Pycnopolystoechotes striatus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov., are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation, Inner Mongolia, China. The two new genera can be assigned to the Polystoechotes genus-group of Ithonidae by the combination of following characters: elongated forewing, Sc and RA fused distally, crossveins in radical sector sparse except for the gradate series, and simple CuP branches. The known wing markings among the Jurassic Polystoechotes genus-group were outlined, which suggested the diversification of wing markings was possibly positively associated with the species radiation of this lineage during this period. Moreover, a key to fossil genera of the Polystoechotes genus-group was provided.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAEEFF67-876D-4709-BE4A-18F5AB04B01D

Stictopolystoechotes: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:666ED6B2-B132-4CF4-BFB0-ED6B86EB30F4

Stictopolystoechotes sparsulus: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6C96432B-205F-4F39-A647-3E0048169A92

Pycnopolystoechotes: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1D1343DF-844E-4243-BAB9-242F6232EEBF

Pycnopolystoechotes striatus: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B4EFBE6B-5011-4103-A65F-77D65BEC0B85

KEYWORDS:

• Daohugou
• fossil
• Mesozoic
• new taxa
• wing markings

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Xiaotian Liu and Yurong Jiang (Capital Normal University, Beijing, China) for their technical support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (31970383, 42288201, 32020103006); the GDAS Special Project of Science and Technology Development (2022GDASZH-2022010106); the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2023A1515010962); and the Pearl River Talent Plan of Guangdong Province (2021QN02N101.