Unmasking a gap: A new oligoneuriid fossil (Ephemeroptera: Insecta) from the Crato Formation (upper Aptian), Araripe Basin, NE Brazil, with comments on Colocrus McCafferty

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Crato Formation (Araripe Basin) preserves one of the most diverse entomofaunas of the Cretaceous. Among the groups of insects, mayflies stand out in abundance, but among them oligoneuriids are especially rare. A newly discovered adult oligoneuriid from this unit is here described as Incogemina nubila gen. et sp. nov. and new subfamily Incogemininae. A phylogenetic analysis recovered the new taxon as the sister group to the species-rich and cosmopolitan Oligoneuriinae. The paratype of Colocrus indivicum, described as an "oligoneuriid" from the same unit, is here reviewed and considered as belonging to the family Hexagenitidae. The biogeographical and taxonomic implications of this discovery and the phylogenetic position of Incogemina nubila are discussed. Incogemina bridge an important morphological gap between the Oligoneuriinae and the extant Chromarcys. Also, it demonstrates that the divergence between Oligoneuriinae and Incogemininae probably occurred in South America.
Funding Information
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (309666/2019-8)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (001)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (309666/2019-8)
  • Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (#BP3-013900202.01.00/18)

This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit: