New grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Elcanidae, Locustopsidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation suggest a biome homogeneity in Central Gondwana

Abstract

ABSTRACT †Cratoelcana rasnitsyni sp. nov., new elcanid species, and †Pseudoacrida sennlaubi sp. nov., new locustopsid species, are described from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation in Brazil, on the basis of two well-preserved compression fossils. The genus †Cratoelcana previously comprised its type species †Cratoelcana zessini and †Cratoelcana damianii whose placement is doubtful and could belong to the Lower Cretaceous genus †Mimelcana from UK. The genus †Pseudoacrida was previously only known from the Lower Cretaceous of China. The pattern of colouration of the tegmen of †Cratoelcana rasnitsyni sp. nov. strongly differs from that of †Cratoelcana zessini. The presence of two rounded coloured or hyaline spots in the middle of the tegmen seems to be very frequent among the elcanid species. On the basis of the tegmen venation and pattern of colouration, there are probably no less than five different species of Elcanidae in the Crato Formation; two of them remain to be described. The palaeobiogeography of the †Elcanidae and †Locustopsidae are discussed, especially concerning for the Gondwana faunas.