New Jurassic Dysmorphoptilidae from the Junggar Basin of northwestern China (Insecta: Hemiptera): evolutionary and palaeogeographic implications

Abstract

Abstract Dysmorphoptilidae is a renowned extinct family of hemipteran insects that is easily distinguished by its bizarrely shaped forewings and distinctive venation. Although widespread in the Early Permian to Mid Jurassic, this family has extremely rarely been recorded in China. Herein one new genus and two new species, Dysmorphoptila gobiensis sp. nov. and Guchinus xinjiangensis gen. et sp. nov., are described from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, NW China, representing the first Jurassic Dysmorphoptilidae from northern China. We present a detailed morphological comparison of all known genera and species of Dysmorphoptilidae and a phylogenetic tree based on eight genera and species with relatively complete tegminal characters. The tree indicates that the present subfamilial classification of Dysmorphoptilidae is questionable. A large-scale diversification in forewing venation probably occurred during the Triassic, possibly coeval with the palaeogeographical radiation and ecological adaptation of Dysmorphoptilidae. Our results provide new insights into the evolution and occurrence of this family.