Protaenionema Liu and Shih

Liu, Yushuang, Sinitshenkova, Dong Ren Nina D. & Shih, Chung Kun, 2007, The oldest known record of Taeniopterygidae in the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China (Insecta: Plecoptera), Zootaxa 1521, pp. 1-8 : 4-5

Genus Protaenionema Liu and Shih , gen. nov.

Type species. Protaenionema fuscalatus Liu and Shih , sp. nov.

Etymology. Named from a combination of the prefix pro- and Taenionema .

Species included. Only the type species P. fuscalatus Liu and Shih , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Wings of normal length, brown. Lack of additional veinlets on the costal area, crossvein c–r absent; Rs and M both with two branches. Ninth sternite produced, distinctly exceeds the tenth segment, not upturned, and the distal margin rounded, tenth tergite transversely wide, sclerotized. Cerci short, multisegmented.

Remarks. In the extant genera, c–r is generally present, absent only in Brachyptera and in the glacialis and contorta group of Oemopteryx ( Ricker & Ross 1975) . Crossvein c–r is absent in this new genus Protaenionema . It is difficult to distinguish this new genus and extant genus Brachyptera and the glacialis and contorta group of Oemopteryx according to the preserved characters of Protaenionema . Brachyptera has developed extra branches (three to five branches) of CuA and cerci with one or two segments, but these important characters are not preserved clearly in Protaenionema ; similarly, the typical features (two prongs) of epiproct of Oemopteryx cannot be observed in Protaenionema . The new extinct genus Protaenionema differs from the extinct Gurvanopteryx and Positopteryx by the opaque, slightly brown wings and by the distinctly produced ninth sternite. It differs from the new Jurataenionema by having an Rs with two branches and the fuscous wings.