An enigmatic Tettigoniidea from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Bqaatouta, Lebanon (Orthoptera, Ensifera)

Abstract

Aenigmaraphidophora mouniri gen. et sp. nov., an enigmatic representative of the ensiferan infraorder Tettigoniidea, is described and figured from the Lower Cretaceous of Lebanon, based on a nearly complete male specimen. The new fossil could fit in either in the stem group of the Rhaphidophoridae or in the Tettigoniidae. In either cases, the discovery is congruent with the current hypotheses on the dating of these families. We discuss on the consequence of the presence of an external fore tibial tympan in the new fossil, while absent in the extant Rhaphidophoridae.