A New Fossil Scorpionfly (Insecta: Mecoptera: Holcorpidae) with Extremely Elongate Male Genitalia from Northeastern China
About the first author:
LI Lei Male; born in 1990 in the city of Tianjin. Now he is a graduate student in the Key Lab of Insect Evolution and Environmental Changes, Capital Normal University. His current interests focus on the taxonomy and morphology of Mecoptera insect fossils.
Abstract
Since Holcorpa maculosa was first described in 1878, it has attracted lots of attention due to its extremely elongate abdominal segments from the sixth to the eighth. Fossil records of family Holcorpidae are very rare, comprising two species in one genus represented by three fossil specimens, resulting in limited knowledge on the structure and function of holcorpid's unique male organ, as well as its evolutionary relationship with other scorpionflies. Herein we describe a new genus with a new species, Conicholcorpa stigmosa gen. et sp. nov., of the Holcorpidae from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation near Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the first holcorpid documented from the Daohugou locality, albeit two previously reported species with extremely elongate male organs but deemed as Family Incertae sedis. C. stigmosa gen. et sp. nov. is the earliest holcorpid hitherto, extending its existence from the Early Eocene to the Middle Jurassic by 114 million years and providing one more early case of presenting exaggerated male body parts for sexual display and/or selection. Our analysis supports the sister relationship between Holcorpidae and Orthophlebiidae. Our results not only enhance our knowledge of the morphology of Holcorpidae but also elucidate the relationship of known species of this family.
