The early cretaceous orthopteran Parahagla sibirica Sharov, 1968 (Prophalangopsidae) from the Jiuquan Basin of China and its palaeogeographic significance

Abstract

The orthopteran Parahagla sibirica Sharov, 1968 is reported based on a male forewing for the first time from the Lower Cretaceous Chijinbao Formation of the Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, Northwest China. The diagnosis of the species is revised based on the new specimen. Its palaeogeographic and stratigraphic distributions are discussed, based on which two possible migration paths of the species are indicated as follows: (1) This species initially appeared in northern Hebei and western Liaoning, China at latest in the earliest Aptian, and further migrated northwestwards to Transbaikalia and westwards to Gansu Province soon later (early-middle Aptian). (2) Or alternatively, it originally occurred in Transbaikalia earlier than the Aptian and further migrated southwards to northern China during the Aptian.