Genus

Prokop, Jakub & Nel, Andre, 2011, New Middle Permian palaeopteran insects from Lodeve Basin in southern France (Ephemeroptera, Diaphanopterodea, Megasecoptera), ZooKeys 130, pp. 41-55 : 42

Genus indet. Figs 1 A–B

Material.

Specimen Ld LAP 483 (Lapeyrie collection, imprint of proximal part of forewing), stored at the Musée of Lodève, France.

Age and locality.

Middle Permian, Guadalupian, Lodève Basin, Salagou Formation, Lodève, Hérault, France ( Garric 2000; Béthoux et al. 2002).

Description.

Counter-imprint of a fore wing without trace of preserved coloration, strongly developed corrugation of longitudinal veins; basal part of fore wing 22.7 mm long and 11.6 mm wide, estimated total length about 45 mm; area between ScP and C rather broad with numerous simple cross-veins; concave ScP straight and basally running close to radial and medial veins; RA nearly straight; RA and RP extremely approximate between wing base and a point situated 17.5 mm distally at which RP strongly diverges from RA; convex MA diverging from MP nearly at right angle and directed towards radial veins, 11.3 mm from wing base; MA distally closely parallel to RA and RP for 5.4 mm, then nearly touching RP at one point; RP emerging 6.4 mm distal of base of MA; concave MP nearly straight; convex CuA diverging from CuP close to wing base and running parallel to medial veins, CuA with two visible terminal branches; simple CuP strongly concave and only weakly curved; anal area partly preserved, first anal vein of neutral polarity ending with two main branches, second anal vein convex and distally pectinate with several branches connected by rather dense network of cells; along posterior wing margin a broad area between CuP and first anal vein; a small pentagonal elongate cell below second anal vein, near wing base.

Discussion.

This fossilbears a combination of the main characters of ephemeropterid family Syntonopteridae , i.e., a strong corrugation of the main longitudinal veins connected by mainly simple transverse crossveins also present in Odonatoptera and some Palaeodictyopterida (e.g., Breyeriidae ), MA with a strong anterior curve at its base, shortly connected with RP distally; CuA with a short terminal twigging and anal area with well-defined cell(s). We can argue that this fossil is a forewing fragment for the absence of a characteristic constriction of concave vein IN- between AA1+2 and AA3+4 ( Prokop et al. 2010). The specimen can be possibly attributed to a new genus and species for the long part of MA closely parallel to extremely approximate bases of RA and RP; a broad area between CuP and first anal vein near posterior wing margin, and CuP simple (differences with all other genera Lithoneura Carpenter, 1938, Syntonoptera Handlirsch, 1911, Anglolithoneura Prokop & al., 2010, except maybe Gallolithoneura Garrouste et al., 2009 based on a rather incomplete wing) ( Garrouste et al. 2009). However, we prefer to maintain this specimen as Syntonopteridae gen. et sp. indet. for its incompleteness. Nevertheless this fossil represents the first undisputed record of mayflies from Salagou Formation in the Lodève Basin.