Cnemidolestodea Handlirsch, 1937

Nel, Andre & Poschmann, Markus J., 2021, A new representative of the “ orthopteroid ” insect family Cnemidolestidae from the lower Permian of Germany, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 66 (3), pp. 641-646 : 642

Order Cnemidolestodea Handlirsch, 1937 Family Cnemidolestidae Handlirsch, 1906 Genus Palatinarkema nov.

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:66B028D6-D771-47A1-95DC-873DDDBDD7E3

Etymology: From Latin palatium, origin of Palatinate, the type region, and the genus name Narkema .

Type species: Palatinarkema prokopi sp. nov., by monotypy; see below.

Diagnosis.—Forewing characters only. Posterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa anteriorly pectinate, with small bifurcations on only two branches; stem of anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa very short; veinlet ma-mp very strong and not aligned with anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa; angle between anterior branch and posterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa very acute; no well-defined vein in area between MA, MP+CuA+CuPa, ma-mp crossvein present; branches of anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa and of RP simple.

Palatinarkema prokopi sp. nov.

Fig. 1.

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D32AD59D-F659-4837-83C8-0896E4CCFC45

Etymology: Named after our friend Jakub Prokop, specialist in fossil insects.

Holotype: PE 2020/5004-LS a, b, part and counterpart of a complete wing with parts of the basal region hidden by remains of an undetermined insect wing and/or a mineral stain.

Type locality: East of the village of Niedermoschel, Saar-Nahe Basin, Germany.

Type horizon: Niedermoschel black shale, Jeckenbach Subformation, Meisenheim Formation, Lower Rotliegend, lower Permian (sensu Schindler 1997), probably Asselian–?Sakmarian ( Schneider and Werneburg 2012; Schneider et al. 2020).

Material.— Holotype only.

Diagnosis.—As for the genus; two parallel darkened bands in distal half of forewing plus some spots in mid part.

Description.—Based on forewing venation: estimated total wing length about 17.1 mm, maximum width at midwing 4.4 mm; wing membrane probably originally hyaline with oblique colored bands; concave ScP slightly curved, running parallel with costal margin, merging with RA at distal two-thirds of wing; costal and subcostal areas nearly as broad where preserved; stem of R diverging from M+CuA near base of wing; division of RA and RP proximal of midwing, 2.3 mm basal to connection of ScP with RA; strongly convex ScP+RA simple ending on costal margin basal of wing apex; numerous oblique crossveins present between RA and costal wing margin; concave RP mostly posteriorly pectinate ending with six simple branches terminating at the wing tip; neutral (neither really convex not concave) vein MA diverging from M+CuA and running parallel to stem of R/RP; MA deeply forked into two simple branches, anterior one MA1 shortly connected to RP and posterior one MA2 nearly straight; CuPa not visible at base, hidden by debris; stem of MP+CuA+CuPa elongate, 1.7 mm long, bifurcating into two branches, the posterior branch subdivided into four branches; and an anterior branch with a short stem and bifurcating into two elongate branches, defining a long but rather narrow area between it, MA and crossvein ma-mp, without well-defined and strong vein inside it; angle between anterior and posterior branches of MP+CuA+CuPa very acute, ca. 18°; both branches of anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuP simple; crossvein ma-mp between MA and anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa very strong, apparently convex, and not aligned with anterior branch of MP+CuA+CuPa; area between branches of RP, concave CuP basally dividing into CuPa and CuPb, CuPb running parallel to MP+CuA+CuPa towards posterior wing margin; anal area incomplete with partly preserved first and second anal veins running parallel to CuP and CuPb.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.— Type locality and horizon only.