The first Dysmorphoptilidae from the Middle Triassic of China (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha)

The extinct family Dysmorphoptilidae has been the most typical and dominant member of the Triassic cicadomorphan insects, widespread during the Middle Permian to the Middle Jurassic. Herein Tennentsia orientalis sp. nov. is characterised, described and illustrated based on a well-preserved forewing from the Middle Triassic Yanchang Formation of Shaanxi Province, northern China. The new taxon can be readily distinguished from all other Gondwana members of Tennentsia by its tegminal emarginations deeper and more acute, without contrasting colour pattern, short ScP+RA with single prenodal veinlet, and two branches of RP. This discovery expands the biogeographic distribution of Dysmorphoptilidae to the Ordos basin of China, representing the first record of the subfamily Dysmorphoptilinae in the Northern Hemisphere which provides valuable information for reconstructing its historical range. In addition, Gallegomorphoptila breviptera Martins-Neto, Gallego and Melchor, 2003, G. acostai Martins-Neto and Gallego, 1999, G. gigantea Martins-Neto and Gallego, 2001, and G. kotejai Martins-Neto and Gallego, 2006 are transferred to Dysmorphoptiloides Evans, 1956, resulting in Dysmorphoptiloides breviptera (Martins-Neto, Gallego and Melchor, 2003), comb. n., D. acostai (Martins-Neto and Gallego, 1999), comb. n., D. pulcherrima (Martins-Neto and Gallego, 2003), comb. n., and D. kotejai (Martins-Neto and Gallego, 2006), comb. n..

Automated summary

The extinct family Dysmorphoptilidae was the most typical and dominant among Triassic cicadomorphan insects, with a new species called Tennentsia orientalis sp. nov. described and characterized in this study. This discovery expands the biogeographic distribution of Dysmorphoptilidae to China's Ordos basin, representing the first record of the subfamily Dysmorphoptilinae in the Northern Hemisphere.