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The first Neuroptera from the Triassic of Central Asia

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Abstract

Neuroptera, or lacewings, are a small order of holometabolous insects with a rich evolutionary history going back to the Early Permian. Herein, four new genera and species of the Middle Triassic lacewings are described from the Madygen Formation (Kyrgyzstan): Osmylotriasia superba gen. et sp. nov., Triasella ovata gen. et sp. nov., Madygoneura elongata gen. et sp. nov. and Relictovia pristina gen. et sp. nov. First three of them belong to the Permian–Triassic family Archeosmylidae, whereas Relictovia gen. nov. is the youngest record of Permithonidae, previously known only from Permian deposits. These new taxa are the first Triassic Neuroptera to be reported from Central Asia, thus partly filling the gap in the Triassic record of the group in the Northern hemisphere. These findings suggest that Triassic communities of Neuroptera were transitional between uniform Paleozoic faunas and diverse Mesozoic biota. On the one hand, Triassic lacewing assemblages included Permian relicts like the last permithonids, and, on the other hand, typical Mesozoic elements like Osmylopsychopidae.

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Data availability

All data are provided in the text and figures. Additional photographs of the holotypes, housed at Borissiak Paleontological institute (Russia, Moscow), are available upon request.

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Acknowledgements

The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, under Project No. 21-14-00284.

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  1. Borissiak Palaeontological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, Moscow, 117647, Russia

    Alexander V. Khramov

  2. Cherepovets State University, Lunacharsky prospect 5, Cherepovets, Vologda region, 162600, Russia

    Alexander V. Khramov

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Khramov, A.V. The first Neuroptera from the Triassic of Central Asia. PalZ 98, 85–93 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-023-00664-8

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