Tuesday, December 1, 2020

[PaleoEntomology • 2020] The Damselfly Palaeofauna (Insecta, Odonata, Zygoptera) from the Eocene of Wyoming and Colorado, USA


Zacallites cockerelli
Bechly, Garrouste, Aase, et al., 2020


Abstract
A new family, five new genera, and nine new species of fossil damselflies (Insecta, Odonata, Zygoptera, Calopterygida) from the USA are described, seven from the Eocene Fossil Lake deposits and one from Lake Uinta deposits, both from the Green River Formation, and an additional specimen from the Wind River Formation of Wyoming and Colorado. Namely, Carlea eocenica gen. et sp. nov. (in Carleidae fam. nov.), Labandeiraia riveri sp. nov., Labandeiraia browni sp. nov., Eodysphaea magnifica gen. et sp. nov., Litheuphaea sp. cf. coloradensis Petrulevičius et al., 2007, Zacallites cockerelli sp. nov., Dysagrion integrum sp. nov., Tenebragrion shermani gen. et sp. nov., Tynskysagrion brookeae gen. et sp. nov., and Oreodysagrion tenebris gen. et sp. nov. Epallagoidea and Amphipterygoidea are most common while Calopterygoidea, Coenagrionoidae and Lestoidea damselflies are less diverse. Genera of zygopteran Dysagrionidae are known from Europe and North America, further supporting the hypothesis of Palaeogene terrestrial interchange. Representatives of Epallagoidea and Amphipterygoidea in the Green River Formation confirm that warm conditions occurred at the time of deposition.

Keywords: Zygoptera, Calopterygoidea, Epallagoidea, Amphipterygoidea, damselfly, Green River Formation


Family ZACALLITIDAE Cockerell, 1928

Genus ZACALLITES Cockerell, 1928
Type species: Zacallites balli Cockerell, 1928.

Other species: Zacallites cockerelli sp. nov.


Günter Bechly, Romain Garrouste, Arvid Aase, Jered A. Karr, Lance Grande and André Nel. 2020. The Damselfly Palaeofauna from the Eocene of Wyoming and Colorado, USA (Insecta, Odonata, Zygoptera). Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1346