Rafaelnymphes

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Rafaelnymphes
Temporal range: Aptian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera
Family: Nymphidae
Genus: †Rafaelnymphes
Myskowiak et al, 2016
Species:
†R. cratoensis
Binomial name
†Rafaelnymphes cratoensis
Myskowiak et al, 2016

Rafaelnymphes is an

lacewing in the family Nymphidae
known from a fossil found in South America. The genus contains a single species, Rafaelnymphes cratoensis.

History and classification

When first described, R. cratoensis was known from a single fossil adult which is a

lagerstätten. The area is a preserved inland lake or one of a series of lakes, though the nature as a fresh or salt-water body is uncertain. The depth of the basin has been suggested as either shallow or fairly deep. The basin formed near the center of the supercontinent Gondwana during the early part of the diversification of flowering plants.[2][3]

The R. cratoensis holotype specimen was preserved in the Wyoming Dinosaur Center-Crato collection when first studied.[1] The fossil was described by an international team of paleontologists led by Justine Myskowiak in a 2016 paper. The genus name is a combination of Rafael, a patronym honoring Rafael Martins-Neto who specialized in insects of the Crato Formation and nymphes, taken from the family name Nymphidae. They coined the specific epithet cratoensis in reference to the type locality the Crato Formation.[1]

R. cratoensis is one of several neuropteran species described from the Crato Formation. Other species include the nymphid

Makarkinia kerneri.[2]

Description

The single fossil has a full body length of approximately 24.0 mm (0.94 in), and is mostly complete, being fossilized upside down with the legs upwards. The

compound eyes positioned on the sides. The preserved sections of the legs are slender and attached to the 6.0 mm (0.24 in) long prothorax. The 21.0 mm (0.83 in) long forewings are a dark brown coloring with area and spots that are a slightly darkener tone, possibly preserved color patterning.[1] There are small trichosors present along the apical rear edges of the forewings, and as typical for the family, nygmata are not present on any of the wings. The forewings and hindwings are preserved overlapping each other, obscuring detail of the hindwing venation.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.029
    .
  2. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.014
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1-139-46776-6
    .
  4. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2006.11.003
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rafaelnymphes&oldid=1220742811"