Cretaceous Insects From Labrador 3. a New Genus and Species ofTermite. (Isoptera: Hodotermitidae)

Abstract

Mus.eum of Natural History. INTRODUCTION The origin and dispersal o.f numerous higher taxa of termites by mid-Cretaceous times have been postulated from present geographical distributions and the existence of fairly advanced types in early to middle Tertiary deposits (Emerson, I955, NISS). With the exception of a few extinct genera, the Oligocene termite fauna of Baltic amber includes several genera that are characteristic of present warm temperate climates of Europe and Asia. A recently discovered tropical termite fauna in Mexican amber o.f Oligocene-Miocene age is generically closely similar to the living fauna of the same region (Emerson, NISS). Heretofore, the ea.rliest known fossil termites were found in Eocene deposits of North America, Australia, and Europe. The few specimens of Eocene age belong to the Mastotermitidae (Emerson, I965) and Kalotermitidae (Emerson, MSS), but early Oligocene fossils from several deposits including Baltic amber belong to. the Hodotermitidae, Mastotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, a.nd Rhinotermitidae. The author and others, have. considered the fauna of Baltic amber to be of upper Eocene age (Emerson, I955), but the general concensus now places this fauna in the louver Oligocene. The lack of the most advanced Termitidae from early Tertiary strata is probably due to the general scarcity or absence of this family in temperate climates in the northern hemisphere, and it is predicted that abundant fossils from tropical regions will prove the existence of numerous advanced genera of Termitidae in Cretaceous times. Indeed the tropical fauna, of Mexican amber on the Oligocene-iiocene border proves the presence of living genera of various families that include the Termitidae at that time (Emerson, MSS). The discovery of a fossil termite wing from late Early Cretaceous or early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) associated with a, warm temperate flora in Labrador is a considerable extension of accurately determined specimens of the order Isoptera backward in geological This investigation was supported by the National Science Foundation

An early Cretaceous termite from southern England (Isoptera: Hodotermitidae)

“…It is interesting t o note that the extant subfamilies to which Cretatermitinae are most likely related, i.e. the Porotermitinae and Stolotermitinae of the southern hemisphere (Emerson, 1967), live chiefly in the warm temperate zone (cf. Miller, 1961, Fig.…”

“…The fossil is excluded from the Termopsinae as the latter have a relatively narrow area occupied by the branches of Rs in the outer portion of the wing and the reticulation is well developed (Emerson, 1933(Emerson, , 1967. In the Hodotermitinae Rs has well-developed inferior branches meeting the inner margin of the wing behind the tip (Emerson, 1967 Emerson (1967).…”

“…In the Hodotermitinae Rs has well-developed inferior branches meeting the inner margin of the wing behind the tip (Emerson, 1967 Emerson (1967). (These are characters 1-5 of my Table 1 . ) Valditermes, like Cretatermes, is a comparatively derived hodotermitid in the shape and position of the humeral suture and reduced reticulation (Emerson, 1967). The hindwing of Cretatermes is unknown, but that of Valditermes has a conspicuous anal vein which is considered a primitive character in Isoptera (Emerson, 1965).…”

The Species of Isoptera (Insecta) from The Early Cretaceous Crato Formation: A Revision

“…Indeed, the first Cretaceous termites were those in Burmese amber described by Cockerell (1916Cockerell ( , 1917, but this amber was mistakenly believed to be of Miocene origin until only recently (Zherikhin and Ross, 2000;Grimaldi et al, 2002). Aside from Cockerell's long misdated taxa, the first fossil understood to be of Cretaceous age was Cretatermes carpenteri Emerson (1967) from Labrador, Canada. Subsequent to Emerson (1967) there was a slow but relatively steady increase in the number of Cretaceous Isoptera until the rate of discovery rose slightly during the 1990s.…”

“…Aside from Cockerell's long misdated taxa, the first fossil understood to be of Cretaceous age was Cretatermes carpenteri Emerson (1967) from Labrador, Canada. Subsequent to Emerson (1967) there was a slow but relatively steady increase in the number of Cretaceous Isoptera until the rate of discovery rose slightly during the 1990s. Interestingly, Emerson's fossil was discovered and described at about the same time as (but with considerably less attention than) the first Cretaceous ant, Sphecomyrma freyi Wilson and Brown.…”