FIRST HANGINGFLY (INSECTA: MECOPTERA: BITTACIDAE) FROM THE CRETACEOUS OF EUROPE, THE

Journal of Paleontology, Nov 2004 by Petrulevicius, Juli�n F, Jarzembowski, Ed A

AA3 4 with a long, oblique crossvein between its distal part and CuP, reaching the latter vein just after AA3 4 reaches the wing margin. AP1 2 reaching wing margin before separation of MP. API 2 linked to AA3 4 by a short crossvein.

Etymology.-Latin for "small size."

Type.-Holotype, Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton, registration number BMB 024667/-8 [CH 1285a, b] (part and counterpart).

Occurrence.-Upper Lower Weald clay (late Hauterivian), UK.

CONCLUSION

The Wealden Antiquanabittacux n. gen. (based on A. nanus n. gen. and sp.) seems to be related to recent Anabittacus from Chile and extinct Jichoristellu from the Middle Neocomian Lushanfeng Formation of Beijing, China. Other Wealden genera with Chinese affinities in the Early Cretaceous include Sinonemestrius (Diptera: Xylophagidae; Jarzembowski and Mostovski, 2000) and Penaphis (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea; Jarzembowski, 1989). These are part of a group of Wealden taxa including Trichoptera and Coleorryncha which also show affinity with living endemics in the Southern Hemisphere; the modern endemism has been attributed to extinction of ancestral lineages in the Northern Hemisphere (Sukatsheva and Jarzembowski, in press). Thus the Gondwanan Anabittacus could be a relict representative of an extinct Laurasian group of Bittacidae dating from the Early Cretaceous. It is interesting to note that Anabittacus inhabits the southern warm temperate zone (s. Miller, 1961) and Antiquanabittacus and Jichoristella are considered to have lived under a dry warm temperate/subtropical paleoclimate ( see above and Ren et al., 1995, 1996). The mean annual rainfall (1,500-2,500 mm) and temperature (10�C) of the typical Anabittacus habitat (0-594 in) correspond to the cooler, humid end of the Wealden paleoclimatic range (Alien, 1998). Bittacidae are, however, no longer present in the northern parts of America, Asia, and Europe, including the UK. More fossil material is needed to elucidate the phylogeny and biogeography of the hangingflies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to A. NeI and M. C. Digiani (Mus�um National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) for valuable help and discussion and A. Ross (Natural History Museum, London) for drawing our attention to the find. Thanks are also due to the two referees who carefully examined the manuscript; especially to G. Byers whose great experience in bittacids enriched the final version of this paper. This is PRIS contribution no. 835 for EAJ.

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