Zdenekia silesiensis, Prokop & Krzemiński & Krzemińska & Wojciechowski, 2012

Prokop, Jakub, Krzemiński, Wiesław, Krzemińska, Ewa & Wojciechowski, Dariusz, 2012, Paoliida, a Putative Stem-Group of Winged Insects: Morphology of New Taxa from the Upper Carboniferous of Poland, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57 (1), pp. 161-173 : 164-168

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.4202/app.2010.0064
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/124E5B4F-FFEF-FFC2-FFFD-49697E3543BD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Zdenekia silesiensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Zdenekia silesiensis sp. nov.

Figs. 2A–C View Fig , 3A–C, 4A.

2001 Zdenekia sp. ( Protorthoptera View in CoL ): Krawczyński et al. 2001: 27, fig. 3.

Etymology: Named after Silesia, a historical region of Central Europe (in the Czech Republic and Poland) where the outcrop is located.

Type material: Holotype: specimen MP ISEA I−F / MP/1488 /2a/08 (imprint) and MP ISEA I−F / MP/1488 /2b/08 (counter−imprint) of the medial four−fifths of a well preserved fore wing in sphero−sideritic concretion . Paratype: specimen MP ISEA I−F / MP/ 1540 /25/09 (counter−imprint) of the medial three−fourths of a well preserved fore wing in sphero−sideritic concretion .

Type locality: Sosnowiec−Klimontów , originally Porąbka−Klimontów Mine , Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. All specimens listed below come from the type locality .

Type horizon: Załęże beds, Mudstone series, Langsettian, Westphalian A, Upper Carboniferous.

Referred material.—Fore wings are fragmentary and represent medial or basal portions of wings. Medial portions: MP ISEA I−F/MP/1492/338ab/09 (imprint and counter−imprint) and MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/7ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint). Basal portions: MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/16ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/28/08 (counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1492/22/09 (counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/19ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/13ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/6/08 (imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/10/08 (imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/29/08 (counter−imprint).

Hind wings: Two nearly complete wings MP ISEA I−F/ MP/ 1488/3/08 (imprint) and MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/4/08 (counter−imprint), and about a distal half of wing MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/5ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint). The following specimens represent basal wing portions: MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/21ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint), MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/12ab/08 (imprint and counter−imprint); MP ISEA I−F/MP/1492/340ab/09 (imprint and counter−imprint), MP ISEA I−F/MP/1492/343ab/09 (imprint and counter−imprint), MP ISEA I−F/MP/1492/346ab/09 (imprint and counter−imprint), MP ISEA I−F/MP/1492/337ab/09 (imprint and counter−imprint), MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/11/08 (counter−imprint).

Immature forewing: Specimen MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/ 29/08 (counter−imprint).

Diagnosis.—Based on fore wing venation characters: costal margin deflected on level of connection with ScP; MP deeply bifurcated about midwing, anterior branch secondary bifurcated well behind bifurcation of first branch of RP, posterior branch of MP ending with 3–4 main branches on posterior wing margin; CuA convex strongly diverges towards MP from its origin; first branch of CuA terminating on CuP or vanished, CuA with five main branches ending in posterior wing margin.

Description of the type material.— Holotype (MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/2ab/08; Figs. 2A View Fig , 3A) is a nearly complete fore wing with uniform dark coloration, dense net of crossveins (= archedictyon) and a rather thick membrane. Length of preserved part 68 mm, estimated total length about 84 mm, maximum width 30 mm. Costal margin deflected opposite the end of ScP; area between C and ScP 3.2 mm wide, with a net of two rows of cells in basal half and three rows with anterior sigmoidal crossveins (veinlets) in distal half; ScP clearly concave, ending on costal margin about 2/3 wing length; RA convex, straight and simple, ending probably close to the wing apex; RP emerging from R about 28 mm from wing base, RP anteriorly bent, ending with three main branches as preserved, first branch opposite the end of ScP, second and third 42.8 mm distal from separation of RA and RP; MP concave, bifurcated about midwing; anterior branch of MP forked distal to the end of ScP; posterior branch of MP ending with three main branches; strong, convex and oblique arculus (= crossvein mp−cua) positioned about 21 mm from wing base; CuA convex, strongly diverges towards MP at its origin, CuA with five main posterior branches and one anterior branch emerging from CuA distally, all except first reaching posterior wing margin; point of separation between CuA and CuP about 8 mm from wing base, apparently very basal; CuA and CuP are slightly divergent; CuP simple, strongly concave, and straight; three convex anal veins partly preserved.

Paratype ( MP ISEA. I−F / MP/ 1540 /25/09; Figs. 2B View Fig , 3B) represents a middle part of fore wing with probably original dark coloration; different color of proximal and distal part of wing is due to preservation, no spot or other color pattern. Membrane rather thick; dense net of crossveins present. Preserved length 67 mm, estimated total length about 85 mm, maximum width 30.5 mm. Costal margin not well preserved on the level of connection with ScP; area between Costa and ScP 4.5 mm wide, with a net of three or four rows of cells in basal half and several sigmoidal cross−veins (veinlets) in distal half; ScP concave, ending probably on costal margin about 2/3 wing length; RA convex, straight and simple, ending probably close to the wing apex (tips of ScP and RA are

RA RP

AA CuP

CuP 10 mm

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not preserved); concave RP emerging from R about 26.5 mm from wing base, RP anteriorly bended, ending with three main branches as preserved, first branch on the level of ending ScP, second 43.7 mm distal from separation of RA and RP; MP concave, deeply bifurcated about midwing; anterior branch of MP forked distal to the first fork of RP; posterior branch of MP with four main branches ending on posterior wing margin; strong, convex and oblique arculus (= mp−cua) about 20 mm distal from wing base; CuA convex, strongly diverges to MP (the most basal part not preserved); CuA and CuP are slightly divergent; CuA with five main posterior branches, first one vanishing in network close to CuP, third branch terminally bifurcated, others simple, terminating in posterior wing margin; CuP strongly concave, straight, simple; three convex anal veins simple or terminally twigged.

Description of referred material.—Hind wing ( Figs. 2C View Fig , 3C). Description is based on two nearly complete specimens (MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/3/08 and MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/4/08). Wing with uniform dark coloration, with dense net of crossveins, and a rather thick membrane. Estimated total length of former, better preserved specimen 72.8 mm, maximum width 29.0 mm; preserved length of the second specimen 60 mm. Area between costa and ScP with a net of numerous veinlets and 2 mm wide at best; ScP strongly concave, reaching RA about 2/3 wing length; RA convex, nearly straight and simple, ending close to the wing apex; division of RA and RP about 14 mm from wing base; RP concave from the point of separation, with a numerous veinlets in area between RA and RP and RP and MP; RP with two main branches separating opposite the end of ScP; posterior branch of RP terminally twigged; MP concave, bifurcated about 1/3 wing length; anterior branch of MP dichotomously branched; posterior branch of MP with four main branches, second and third terminally twigged; convex arculus perpedicular to CuA and located at highest point of basal curve of this vein, about 10 mm from wing base; CuA convex, strongly diverges to MP from division of CuA and CuP; CuA with two main branches reaching posterior wing margin, anterior branch terminally twigged; reticulated venation with a dense network of crossveins between CuA and MP; point of separation between CuA and CuP close to base; CuP strongly concave and straight, with apical twigging; two anal veins partly visible.

Immature forewing: Specimen MP ISEA I−F/MP/ 1488/ 29/08 ( Fig. 4A) with uniform dark coloration, without preserved crossveins. Length of preserved part 19.5 mm, estimated total length about 23 mm, maximum width 7.5 mm. Costal margin distally curved, posterior margin slightly deflected on the level of CuP well separating anal field; area between C and ScP basally broad about 0.6 mm wide; ScP clearly concave, ending on costal margin about 2/3 wing length; RA convex, straight and simple, reaching wing apex; RP emerging from stem of R about 7.5 mm from wing base, area between RA and RP distally rather broad; RP ending with three main branches, first branch emerges slightly behind the level of ending ScP to costa, second 11.1 mm distal from separation of RA and RP; first and second branch terminally twigged; concave vein MP deeply bifurcated before midwing, anterior branch secondarily bifurcated slightly before ending ScP and terminally twigged, posterior branch of MP terminally twigged; arculus between MP and CuA not preserved, probably not well developed; convex CuA basally diverges to MP, CuA with two main apical branches; simple CuP strongly concave and straight; anal area reduced with two convex simple anal veins reaching posterior wing margin.

Remarks on variability of adult wing venation.—Fore wings of holotype and paratype differ mainly in arrangement of main branches of posterior MP, which is double dichotomous in holotype, while in paratype one posterior branch is followed by a triple fork (compare Figs. 2 View Fig AB, 3AB). Also the position of the bifurcation point of MP is variable in relation to origin of RP and first point of bifurcation of this vein. In the paratype the fork of MP is almost equally distant from both these landmarks, while in holotype it is closer to the origin of RP.

Among the supplementary material, two medial wing parts ( MP ISEA I−F / MP/ 1488 /3/08 and MP ISEA I−F / MP/ 1488 /4/08) show branching of MP dichotomous as in the holotype. Medial position of fork of MP into anterior and posterior branch is visible, but further comparison of this position is hindered by absence of corresponding landmarks. Basal wing portions do not provide details other than those described. Strong and oblique crossvein (= arculus) between MP and CuA is visible in all these specimens. The preserved parts of veins CuA and CuP are strongly basally divergent as in the type specimens .

Hind wings of two almost complete specimens on which the description is based are very similar in wing venation. In the distal wing portion of specimen MP ISEA I−F/MP/1488/ 5ab/08 the first fork of anterior MP is positioned somewhat more distally, beyond first fork of RP, and not just under it. However, only such relative difference can be stated in absence of complete specimens.

Remaining fragments of hind wings included represent only fragments and are congruent with the description in having: arculus perpendicular, four main branches of MP arranged as described, CuA strongly divergent from CuP in basal section and ending with several branches terminally twigged.

Discussion.—The present fore wings (principally based on holotype and paratype specimens) are attributable with genus Zdenekia Kukalová, 1958 sharing ScP well separated from RA. This feature is also present in Mertovia Prokop and Nel, 2007 , from which Zdenekia differs in having ScP distinctly

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shorter, and not reaching wing apex, and the vein RP with three distal posterior branches. The vein ScP of Holasicia Kukalová, 1958 , Pseudofouquea Handlirsch, 1906 , Paoliola Handlirsch, 1919 , Olinka Kukalová, 1958 , and Paolia Smith, 1871 ends in RA, and RP has more numerous posterior branches ( Melander 1903; Kukalová 1958a: text−figs. 3, 5, 9–12; Maples 1989, 1991). In Kemperala Brauckmann, 1984 the vein ScP terminates also in RA, but RP is deeply dichotomously bifurcated well before end of ScP ( Brauckmann 1984; Brauckmann et al. 1985, Kukalová−Peck and Brauckmann 1992). Furthermore, Zdenekia Kukalová, 1958 has wings considerably broader in comparison to Holasicia Kukalová, 1958 , and MP is forked at about midwing. In addition, hind wings assigned to Zdenekia are basally broader than in distal part, branches of MP forming a large area along posterior wing margin (see Kukalová 1958a).

The genus Zdenekia is currently represented by two species of Westphalian A (Langsettian) age, viz. Z. grandis Kukalová, 1958 (Czech part of USCB) and Z. occidentalis Laurentiaux−Vieira and Laurentiaux (1986) (Charbonnages de Ressaix, Belgium). Z. silesiensis sp. nov. differs from both species in having CuA less developed, with five main branches ending on posterior wing margin instead of seven present in Z. grandis and Z. occidentalis . MP is reduced; anterior branch of MP is nearly straight with the first bifurcation well behind the level of first branch of RP instead clearly before as in Z. grandis and Z. occidentalis ( Kukalová 1958a; Laurentiaux−Vieira and Laurentiaux 1986). Also, the posterior branch of MP is shorter in Z. silesiensis than in both congeners. On the basis of above mentioned characters it is possible to separate Z. silesiensis from the other two previously described species.

Furthermore, Kukalová (1958a) assigned an isolated hind wing to Zdenekia cf. grandis basing on wing proportions and a venation pattern similar to those known in forewings of Zdenekia grandis . We found similar situation with Z. silesiensis in our locality where we discovered several nearly complete and fragmentary fore and hind wings similar in organization of the venation pattern to latter taxon. We tentatively attribute hind wings described in supplementary material to Z. silesiensis sp. nov. on the basis of the following characters: (i) reduced RP area with only two main branches; (ii) anterior branch of MP rather long with first division on the level or slightly behind division of RP. Nevertheless, it should be noticed that we cannot be sure until more complete specimen is discovered.

The well preserved immature wing can be assigned with confidence to Paoliidae , sharing the main diagnostic pattern of forewing organisation features of Z. silesiensis sp. nov.: ScP ending in C, RP with two main branches secondarily forked, MP deeply forked and CuA with few branches. Nevertheless some branches of main veins or dense pattern of cross−veins as we can observe on adult wing are probably still not well developed due to progressive tracheation.