New Jurassic Cercopoidea from China and their evolutionary significance (Insecta: Hemiptera)

Abstract

A new family, Sinoalidae Wang and Szwedo fam. nov., is described from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota (Inner Mongolia, China). Two new genera with three new species (Sinoala parallelivena Wang and Szwedo gen. et sp. nov., Jiania crebra Wang and Szwedo gen. et sp. nov., and Jiania gracila Wang and Szwedo sp. nov.) are erected based on well‐preserved whole‐bodied specimens. The morphological characters of Procercopidae and the new family are given, and a key to the species of Sinoalidae is presented. The genera Luanpingia Hong, 1983 and Huabeicercopis Hong, 1983 are revised and attributed to Sinoalidae. The genera Mesocercopis Hong, 1983 and Sinotettegarcta Hong, 1986 are considered junior synonyms of Anthoscytina Hong, 1983. Taxa assigned to Sinoalidae fam. nov. cannot be attributed to any previously known family, but share some general (plesiomorphic) characters with ancient Clypeata, for example, postclypeus distinctly swollen, transversely wrinkled, antenna with a flagellum of a few elongate segments, frons with median ocellus and lateral ocelli on crown. Moreover, the new family is closely related to Procercopidae (Cercopoidea) based on a pronotum with a median incision at the hind margin; tegmen slender, partly punctuate, basal portion of Sc not exceeding apex of basal cell, and hind legs with lateral spines. It has a mixture of ancestral characters shared with Hylicelloidea and Jurassic Procercopidae and some derived characters. Therefore, it is tentatively placed in Cercopoidea. A preliminary phylogram of Clypeata is presented based on the combination of fossil and morphological data.

New data on Jurassic Sinoalidae from northeastern China (Insecta, Hemiptera)

“…Shufania n. gen., however, distinctly differs from all known sinoalids in having forewing with crossvein m-cua connecting to stem M, bifurcation of M distad of apices of costal area and clavus, CuA branching into CuA 1 and CuA 2 at junction with crossvein m-cua, slightly basad of bifurcation of M. In addition, the new taxon differs from Jiania Wang and Szwedo, 2012 in possessing a smaller forewing; from Sinoala Wang and Szwedo, 2012, Luanpingia Hong, 1983, and Huabeicercopis Hong, 1983 in possessing a forewing with a very short stalk M + R.…”

“…Although most morphological characters of the body structures and forewings are similar, the two specimens described herein are different from the holotype in the size, length/width ratio, and surface ornament of the costal area and clavus of the forewing. Recently, some studies based on abundant specimens demonstrated that the obvious variation in size of body and wings and length/width ratio of forewing occurs intraspecifically in fossil froghoppers (Wang and Zhang, 2009;Wang et al, 2012;Li et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2015a, b). Therefore, it is reasonable to consider the variation between the holotype and the two new specimens to be intraspecific.…”

“…Therefore, it is reasonable to consider the variation between the holotype and the two new specimens to be intraspecific. Forewing with clavus and basal costal area punctate is treated as important diagnostic character for Jiania gracila Wang and Szwedo in Wang et al, 2012. In the new specimen STMN48-1809, both forewings possess costal areas that are entirely punctate, but clavus with puncta invisible.…”

“…Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758Suborder Cicadomorpha Evans, 1946Superfamily Cercopoidea Leach, 1815 Family Sinoalidae Wang and Szwedo in Wang et al, 2012 Diagnosis (emended).-Forewing with apices of costal area and clavus almost at the same level; costal area and/or clavus more sclerotized and punctate and remaining parts membranous; Pc + CP long and thicken, almost parallel to costal margin; M two-branched. Hind wing with M unbranched; crossvein m-cua basad of crossvein r-m. Three ocelli rather than two.…”

“…Up to now, five genera (Luanpingia Hong, 1983, ?Hebeicercopis Hong, 1983, Huabeicercopis Hong, 1983, Sinoala Wang and Szwedo in Wang et al, 2012, and Jiania Wang and Szwedo in Wang et al, 2012) from the Jurassic deposits of northeastern China have been attributed to this distinct froghopper family (Fig. 1;Wang et al, 2012).…”