The Palaeorehniidae (Orthoptera, Ensifera, “ Zeuneropterinae ”), and new taxa from the early Eocene Okanagan Highlands, western North America
Author
Archibald, S. Bruce
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V 5 A 1 S 6, Canada Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States of America & Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V 8 W 9 W 2, Canada
Author
Gu, Jun-Jie
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
Author
Mathewes, Rolf W.
0000-0001-7637-199X
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V 5 A 1 S 6, Canada Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States of America & r _ mathewes @ sfu. ca; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7637 - 199 X
r_mathewes@sfu.ca
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-02-22
5100
4
559
572
journal article
20508
10.11646/zootaxa.5100.4.6
87bd8764-19cb-4bac-ac4a-9d131b540ae4
1175-5326
6225002
AA6568D3-FEC8-426E-8A47-9A309EC16862
Family
Palaeorehniidae Zeuner
stat. nov.
Palaeorehnia
in the
Hagloidea
,
Zeuneropterinae
in the
Stenopelmatoidea
.
Cockerell (1908)
discussed the similarities of
Palaeorehnia
Cockerell
to other taxa but did not assign it to a higher taxon within the
Ensifera
, nor did he publish a drawing of it, only low-resolution photographs (1909).
Zeuner (1937)
grouped
Palaeorehnia
and
Jurassobatea
Zeuner
(Jurassic of
Germany
) as the Palaeorehniinae, a subfamily of the
Gryllacrididae
.
Palaeorehnia
included
P. maculata
(Scudder)
from the Priabonian shale at Florissant,
Colorado
,
USA
(
Scudder 1890
;
Cockerell 1908
,
1909
;
Kevan and Wighton 1983
) and
P. scotica
.
Sharov (1962)
treated
P. maculata
and
Jurassobatea
as
Haglidae
incertae sedis
and erected the genus
Zeuneroptera
Sharov
for
P. scotica
, maintaining the subfamily name Palaeorehniinae. As it no longer contained
Palaeorehnia
,
Kevan and Wighton (1983)
proposed the replacement name
Zeuneropterinae
(in
Gryllacrididae
), consisting only of
Zeuneroptera
. They assigned their new genus
Albertoilus
Kevan and Wighton
to the
Prophalangopsidae (Hagloidea)
and suggested that
P. maculata
belongs to it as well.
Zeuner, Sharov,
Ragge (1955)
and others in much of the Twentieth Century had differing arrangements of the superfamilies of
Ensifera
and their compositions, understanding the relationships of
Zeuneroptera
and
Palaeorehnia
to each other and within the
Ensifera
in a variety of ways. For brief reviews of the history of this thought,
e
.
g
., see
Kevan and Wighton (1981
,
1983
) and
Gorochov (2001)
.
The current generally accepted view has
Palaeorehnia
in the
Hagloidea
and
Zeuneropterinae
(as
Zeuneroptera
and
Albertoilus
) in the
Stenopelmatoidea
(Gorochov 1995, but see
Béthoux 2012
, who makes an argument for
Zeuneroptera
in the
Prophalangopsidae
).
Gorochov (2001)
thought that the
Zeuneropterinae
might be close to the
Anostostomatidae (Mimnermidae)
, especially its subfamily
Cratomelinae
, although with uncertainty as to it belonging the
Stenopelmatoidea
.
In Gorochov’s diagnosis of the
Stenopelmatoidea
(1995, page 186), CuA+CuPaα, CuPaβ, CuPb, and 1A are long and at a low angle to the posterior margin (“parallelization”), ending in the distal quarter of the wing as is reconstructed in the
Zeuneropterinae
. This is
contra
his
Hagloidea
concept (1995, page 107) where these four veins meet the posterior margin farther from the wing apex at a steeper angle (and see Gorochov 1988, 2001) as in the reconstruction of Cockerell’s
P. maculata
wing of
Zeuner (1939
: plate 2; plate 22,
Fig. 1
; plate 25,
Fig. 1
).
Reassessment of superfamily assignments.
The angles and ending points of CuA+CuPaα, CuPaβ, CuPb, and 1A in
Palaeorehnia
,
Zeuneroptera
and
Albertoilus
, have, however, been estimated based on reconstructions of partial wings, none of which completely preserves those veins to their ends. To evaluate the assumption that these veins conform with Gorochov’s
Hagloidea
in
Palaeorehnia
, we examined modern high-resolution photographs of the part and counterpart of Cockerell’s
holotype
(
Fig. 1A–1C
). In these, the line thought to be a portion of the posterior wing margin can now be seen to be a part of a displaced, upturned vein in a folded section as in the similarly folded basal posterior region of the
Ypopteron nicola
type specimen (
Fig. 4
). Zeuner’s reconstruction (1939) then incorrectly rotates the wing clockwise, increasing the angles of these four veins to the non-existent portion of the posterior margin, therefore, ending too basally on the wing margin for
Palaeorehnia
to be associated with the
Stenopelmatoidea
(
Fig. 1D
). While there is not a sufficient portion of the posterior margin preserved to act as a landmark with which to orient the wing, it should be rotated counterclockwise by some unknown amount from Zeuner’s reconstruction and from that in
Fig. 1E
, and it is equally likely that the angles of these veins match those in
Zeuneroptera
and
Albertoilus
.
This interpretation is also suggested by a new, high-resolution photograph of a second, unpublished fossil tegmen in the University of
Colorado
(Boulder) collections (UCM-18757:
Fig 1E, F
) labelled “
Palaeorehnia maculata
Ckll
(apparently) Florissant T. Duce”. It is quite damaged and is somewhat smaller than the
P. maculata
wing, although this might be explained by sexual dimorphism. Its preserved venation is similar enough to that of the
P. maculata
holotype
that it is likely closely related or perhaps even conspecific as the tentative identification on the label indicates. The basal branching of RA and RP is notably like that of the
P. maculata
type specimen. The posterior margin of the wing and CuPaβ, CuPb, and 1A are not preserved, but the distal portions of the branches of CuA+CuPaα appear long, at a low angle to the wing length.
We further evaluated the angle of these veins in
Zeuneroptera
, whose sole fossil is missing its distal posterior portion. Sharov’s reconstruction (1962: Fig. 402, redrawn here as
Fig. 2A
) presumes a quite wide wing with the reconstructed portions of CuPaβ, CuPb, and 1A straightening in the missing portion from their curves in their preserved portions. In this interpretation, these veins are long as in the
Stenopelmatoidea
.
This missing portion could, however, have been narrower than Sharov speculated, and if these veins continue their curvature as in his drawing of their preserved portions (we have not seen the fossil or its modern photographs; access to collections at the Natural History Museum, London, is restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic), then they terminate more basally, not as in the
Stenopelmatoidea
(Fig, 2B). Both reconstructions are possible, and so the angles and termination points of these veins are unknown.
In the partial tegmen of
Albertoilus
, CuA+CuPaα, CuPaβ and possibly CuPb (but possibly not 1A?) appear to be angled low to the margin and most likely long (
Fig. 3C
).
Although there are three fossil tegmina known of the new genus
Republicopteron
, none have the distal portions of these four veins preserved. Their preserved portions suggest, however, that they are long. In the
holotype
SR
00- 04-06 part of the anterior margin is preserved with which to align the fossil, indicating that at least
MA
,
MP
, and CuA+CuPaα are long, oriented at a low angle to the length of the wing
.
In the more complete tegmen of the new genus and species
Ypopteron nicola
, the termination points of these veins are more proximal than in the
Stenopelmatoidea
and are like those of many
Prophalangopsidae
: only two of five branches of CuA+CuPaα end in the distal quarter of the wing, and CuPaβ ends mid-wing (
Fig. 4
). Note that the distal portions of the basal branch of CuA+CuPaα, CuPaβ, CuPb, and the anal veins are upturned by a fold of the wing as in the
P. maculata
holotype
.
FIGURE 1.
Palaeorehnia maculata
holotype wing, A–E: A, closeup of the basal posterior portion of the counterpart, showing 1A and portions of it folded up over the wing and portions of unknown veins distally (
cf
. veins of upturned portion in
Ypopteron nicola
, Fig. 4); B, photograph of the part showing preserved colouration; C, photograph of the counterpart; D, reproduction of the drawing of
Zeuner (1939
: plate 25, Fig. 1); E, new drawing from the photographs (in same rotational orientation as D); tentative
Palaeorehnia maculata
, University of Colorado (Boulder) collections UCM-18757, F and G: F, photograph; G drawing. Scale bars for A and B–F are 1 cm.
FIGURE 2.
Reconstructions of the distal missing portion of the wing of
Zeuneroptera scotica
, venation of the fossil in black with reconstructed missing venation in green: A, reconstruction of
Sharov (1962
, Fig. 402); B, new reconstruction. No scale bar on original.
These four veins then might or might not conform with Grochov’s diagnosis of the
Stenopelmatoidea
in
Palaeorehnia
and
Zeuneroptera
, probably do in
Albertoilus
and
Republicopteron
, and do not in
Ypopteron
. By the strong similarity of all other aspects of the venation of these five genera listed in our emended diagnosis below, we group them as a taxon of unknown superfamily affinity, suspecting that these veins might have a range of lengths among them, perhaps varying from the hagloid-type to the stenopelmatoid-type. If this is so, it would be in concordance with Gorochov (1995), who considered the venation of
Zeuneropterinae
to be intermediate between the
Stenopelmatoidea
and
Hagloidea
.
Like the
Prophalangopsidae
, CuA+CuPaα has numerous branches in the
Zeuneropterinae
, further excluding it from the
Stenopelmatoidea
(including the
Anostostomatidae
), where there are no more than two (Gorochov 1995, 2001).
With the restoration of
Palaeorehnia
to the taxon, its name reverts to Palaeorehniinae. As it is not then associated with any family, we raise it to the family level and treat it as the
Palaeorehniidae Zeuner
stat. nov.
, defining it by emending Gorochov’s diagnosis (1995, part 1, page 126) of the
Zeuneropterinae
as follows.
Emended diagnosis.
The tegmen of
Palaeorehniidae
have venation most like that of female
Prophalangopsidae
(
e.g.
, CuPb and 2A rather equally bowed away from 1A basally), but may be distinguished from them most easily by the following.
1: CuPaα (
Fig. 3
, red) not aligned with CuPa (
Fig. 3
, dark blue), angled toward M before its branching, toward anterior margin (
Y. nicola
: weakly; all others: more so) [all
Hagloidea
: CuPaα aligned with CuPa, subparallel to M before M branching, directed toward posterior margin];
2: basal branch of CuA+CuPaα (
Fig. 3A
, light blue) not aligned with free CuA [
Prophalangopsidae
: almost always aligned, but see discussion];
3: CuPaα oblique to CuA+CuPaα not aligned (
Fig. 3
, purple), these, with free CuA (
Fig. 3
, green) form a “Y rotated counterclockwise [
Prophalangopsidae
: CuPaα aligned with CuA+CuPaα distal basal branch as in character state 2; these, with free CuA form an “X”];
4: as a consequence of 1 and 3, space posterior to M+CuA (
Fig. 3
, yellow), twice or more width of space posterior to M immediately distal to it (
Fig. 3
, orange) [
Prophalangopsidae
: similar width, but narrowing distal to branching of M (
Fig. 3
, light brown) in many];
FIGURE 3.
Diagnostic character states of the wing of
Palaeorehniidae
(see text); comparative
Prophalangopsidae
(A) and
Palaeorehniidae
(B, C): A,
Aboilus tigris
Gorochov
, female, redrawn from Gorochov (1996, Fig. 2c); B,
Republicopteron douseae
specimen SR 21-005-001; C, tegmen of
Albertoilus cervirufi
, redrawn from Kevan and Wighton, with distal fragment positioned as in their drawing (1983, Fig. 1b). Scale bar for B, see Fig. 7; for C, see original; original of A has no scale bar.
Type
and included genera.
Type
genus:
Palaeorehnia
; included genera:
Zeuneroptera
,
Ypopteron
,
Albertoilus
, and
Republicopteron
.
Discussion.
In
Prophalangopsidae
, the basal branch of CuA+CuPaα (see character state 2 of the diagnosis) is shifted basally in Gorochov’s (1996,
Fig. 5A
) drawing of the tegmen of
Karatailus micropterus
Gorochov
and appears shifted slightly distally in a specimen of a male
Ashangopsis daohugouensis
Lin
et al
.
(see
Gu
et al
. 2010
, Fig. 9.2), but is aligned with the free CuA in the female specimen (Fig. 9.4). The basal branch of CuA+CuPaα appears not aligned in
Prophalangosis obscura
(Walker), see
Liu
et al
. (2009
,
Fig. 1
, their CuA2), but we believe this to be due to creasing of the wing; in a specimen that we examined, this basal branch originates at the distal end of the free CuA as in the above diagnosis, although it appears at a slightly different angle from it, also because of creasing of the wing.
Two genera thought at times to belong to the
Zeuneropterinae
have been transferred to the
Tettigoniidae
:
Lithymnetes
(Théobald) 1937
(Oligocene,
France
, now
Archepseudophylla
Nel
et al
.
) (
Nel
et al
. 2008
), and
Eodecticus
Pongrácz
(Miocene,
Croatia
) (
Zeuner 1939
and see Gorochov 1995).
Wang
et al
. (2019)
transferred
Hylophalangopsis chinensis
Lin and Huang
from the
Prophalangopsidae
to the taxon, however, while it agrees with character state 2 of our diagnosis (basal branch of CuA+CuPaα not aligned with free CuA), it disagrees with it and agrees with
Prophalangopsidae
by character states 1, 3, and 4. Although this wing resembles those of
Prophalangopsidae
in these ways, MA, MP, CuA+CuPaα, CuPb, CuPaβ appear probably long as in
Stenopelmatoidea
, not
Hagloidea
. A thorough analysis and placement of it to higher taxon is outside of the scope of this paper, but we are confident that it is not a member of the
Palaeorehniidae
.
In
Prophalangopsidae
, details of the branching of CuA+CuPaα vary within species and even between the left and right wings of an individual (
Gu
et al
. 2009
,
Wang
et al
. 2017
). We presume this is also true in the
Palaeorehniidae
; therefore, we do not include these in
Table 1
(as above, however, that this vein has more than two branches is informative).
We suspect that perhaps two or more of the genera of
Palaeorehniidae
should be synonymized and some of the character states listed in
Table 1
considered species-level differences. We refrain from doing so here as premature because except for
Republicopteron
, they are only known from single specimens (UCM-18757 is only tentatively associated with
P. maculata
) and all are fragmentary.
TABLE 1.
Character states differing among genera of
Palaeorehniidae
.
1: basal portion of 3A curves away from margin, toward 2A: A, yes; B, no;
2: space posterior to 2A about as wide as space posterior to 1A: A, yes; B, about half width; C, much narrower;
3: R branches basally, about same level as does M: A, yes; B, R branches notably distal to M;
4: maximum width of space posterior to CuA+CuPaα about twice that posterior to CuPaβ: A, yes; B, about the same.
5: 1A straight to about level of CuA and CuPaα joining, then curved: A, yes; B, at least twice that distance; C, evenly curved before and after this level;
6: 3A ends on margin before or at level of CuA and CuPaα joining: A, yes; B, beyond;
7: CuA+CuPaα basal to first branch shorter than CuPaα: A, yes; B, as long or longer.
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
Palaeorehnia
|
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
B§ |
A |
Zeuneroptera
|
? |
?* |
B |
B |
A† |
B |
A |
Albertoilus
|
B |
B |
? |
B |
B‡ |
A |
A |
Ypopteron
|
B |
B |
? |
A |
B |
?¶ |
A |
Republicopteron
|
B |
C |
A |
B |
A |
B |
B |
*likely B (but most of space posterior to 2A not preserved); †likely A (but region basal to level of CuA and CuPaα joining mostly not preserved); ‡most likely B (but distal-most portion of 1A compared here not preserved); § most likely before this level; ¶ likely beyond this level.
The
three specimens
assigned to
R
.
douseae
are consistent in the character states listed in table 1. Although the length of CuA+CuPaα before its first branching varies to some degree, it is always long, distinct from that of all other
Palaeorehniidae
. All three wings have dark membranes. The
holotype
has some spots, but much fewer than those of
P. maculata
. The
two paratypes
do not bear such spots, but this might be an artefact; compare the part and counterpart of
P. maculata
(
Fig. 1A and 1B
). The photograph and drawing of the tegmen of
A
.
cervirufi
by
Kevan and Wighton (1983)
are not very informative as to colouration, but they described the wing as bearing reasonably well developed maculations that are not definite in shape, although this pattern could also be an artefact. In Zeuner’s description of
Z
.
scotica
(as
P. scotica
), he makes no mention of colouration, and we know of no description or illustration of this. The wing of
Y
.
nicola
appears infuscate throughout, although preservation of the membrane varies across it.