ARTHROPODA von Siebold, 1848

Heřmanová, Zuzana, Kvaček, Jiří, Dašková, Jiřina & Halamski, Adam T., 2020, Plant reproductive structures and other mesofossils from Coniacian / Santonian of Lower Silesia, Poland, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 61) 23 (3), pp. 1-23 : 14-15

Phylum ARTHROPODA von Siebold, 1848 Class INSECTA Linné, 1758

Insect coprolite

Figure 10 A-C

Description and remarks. The single specimen from Rakowice Małe is of ellipsoid shape ( Figure 10A ) and hexagonal in transverse section ( Figure 10B ). Length 0.7 mm; breadth 0.4 mm. Surface of the fossil is smooth. No inner structures documented from this fossil ( Figure 10C ). Fossil faecal pellets, also called coprolites, are associated with many Cretaceous mesofloras ( Colin et al., 2011; Knobloch, 1971, 1977; Vangerow, 1954). Affinity of fossil insect coprolites traditionally assigned to Microcarpolithes hexagonalis Vangerow to recent Kalotermes (Isoptera) has been suggested by Colin et al. (2011).

Range. Late Coniacian or early Santonian age.

Occurrence. Rakowice Małe locality.

Material studied. K2768; the material is housed in the National Museum Prague.

Kingdom, Phylum/Division, Class INCERTAE SEDIS

Genus COSTATHECA Hall, 1967

Type species. Chrysotheca diskoensis Miner, 1935, p. 590 , pl. 18, figs. 1-10 = Costatheca diskoensis (Miner) Hall, 1967, p. 1298 , figs. 1-3.

Remarks. The studied material shows typical parallel ribs and transversely orientated wrinkles - characters typical for the genus Costatheca ( Batten and Zavattieri, 1996, 1995; Knobloch, 1981).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Insect remains (A) insect coprolite no. K2768 (A) coprolithes lateral view, no. K2768, scale bar 0.1 mm, Rakowice Małe locality (B) coprolite apical view, hexagonal in outline, no. K2768, scale bar 0.1 mm, Rakowice Małe locality (C) X-ray image, cross section, no. K2768, scale bar 0.1 mm, Rakowice Małe locality. (D) Costatheca striata no. K3010 scale bar 1 mm, Żeliszów locality (E) Costatheca striata showing “operculum” no. K3011 scale bar 1 mm. Żeliszów locality.