A new stick insect (Phasmatodea: Susumaniidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China

Abstract

A new genus and species, Liutiaogoucuna arachnoidea gen. et sp. nov., is established based on a stick insect with almost complete four wings preserved in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, and assigned to the subfamily Susumaniinae of Susumaniidae (Phasmatodea). The discovery of the new taxon provides novel morphological diversity of Susumaniinae, both in forewing and hindwing venation. The high diversity of stick insects with four wings developed in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota indicates that even lack of advanced camouflage, this kind of Phasmatodea had good adaptability in the Early Cretaceous Jehol ecosystem.