Journal of Insect Biodiversity

The first genus and species of Orthophlebiidae sensu stricto from the Lower Cretaceous Dabeigou Formation of Northern China

XIN-NENG LIAN — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

“Orthophlebiidae” represent the oldest known mecopterans characterized by scorpion-tail-like male genitalia. They were the dominant mecopterans during the Jurassic, but experienced a marked decline during the Cretaceous. Herein, I describe and illustrate a new genus and species of Orthophlebiidae sensu stricto from the Lower Cretaceous Dabeigou Formation in Liaoning Province, Northern China. The new species, Sinorthophlebia weichangensis gen. et sp. nov., is characterized by an elongate abdomen with segment VIII forming a conical shape, as well as a remnant fork of M₄, indicating a relatively derived position within the family. Our discovery may provide a valuable reference for future studies on the evolution of wing venation in Panorpoidea and, more broadly, on the evolution of the Jehol entomofauna.

Apriacma acoronata sp. nov., a new cupedid beetle (Coleoptera: Archostemata) from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of North China

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Cupedidae is the most species-rich family within the extinct beetle suborder Archostemata, noted for its abundance, diversity, and broad geographic distribution in the Mesozoic. Although archostematans are relatively common in the Jehol Biota of northeastern China, most records to date have been recovered from the Yixian Formation. In this study, we report a new cupedid beetle fossil from the Jiufotang Formation. The new species, Apriacma acoronata sp. nov., is characterized by an elongate body; long antennae with the pedicel distinctly shorter than the other antennomeres; large, flattened mandibles; a subrectangular prothorax slightly wider than the head, with gently curved lateral margins and lacking anterior corners; and distinctly stout profemora. This discovery constitutes the first record of Archostemata from the Jiufotang Formation, extending the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of cupedid beetles within the Jehol Biota, and contributes to our understanding of archostematan persistence and diversity in Early Cretaceous lacustrine ecosystems.

**Cretaceous beetles of the Jinju Formation: Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the Early Cretaceous of South Korea**

SOO-BIN LEE, CHEN-YANG CAI, GI-SOO NAM — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation of South Korea has recently emerged as an important Konservat-Lagerstätte for Mesozoic insects, yielding exceptionally preserved beetles. These discoveries provide new insights into the morphological evolution and biogeographic history of Mesozoic beetles. Here, we describe a new click beetle, Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov., from the Jinju Formation, South Korea. Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov. is characterized by a rounded anterior margin of the frons, a distinct antennal morphology compared to other species of Cryptocoelus, and different proportions of pronotum length to carina length and elytral length to width ratio. This find represents the third fossil species of Elateridae from the Jinju Formation and constitutes the youngest fossil record of the genus Cryptocoelus.

First record of Palaeontinidae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha) from the Jiufotang Formation illustrates entomofaunal continuity of the Jehol Biota

DOLEV FABRIKANT, LEONIDAS ROMANOS DAVRANOGLOU — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The first occurrence of the extinct cicadomorphan family Palaeontinidae from the Jiufotang Formation of China is reported based on a specimen assigned to Ilerdocossus cf. fengningensis. The genus Ilerdocossus Gomez Pallerola, 1984 is well known from the underlying Yixian Formation of northern China (Hebei, Liaoning provinces, and Inner Mongolia), as well as the Caliza con Caraceas Formation of Lerida, Spain and the Lower Weald Clay (Surrey, England), UK. The new record represents the stratigraphically youngest occurrence of the family in the Jehol Biota and extends the temporal range of Ilerdocossus into the Aptian (121–113 million years ago).

Caddisfly pupae (Trichoptera) from the Early Cretaceous of eastern China

JIA-LI ZHOU, DI-YING HUANG — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Caddisfly adults and cases were relatively common fossils from the Mesozoic but the pupa is extremely rare. Here we described two well-preserved and uncased caddisfly pupae from the locality near the Shanghujia Village, Shouchang Township, Jiande City, Zhejiang Province, East China. New material including two pupal fossils with rather good detailed structures preserved such as mandible, abdominal hook plates, and anal processes. The new material provides new evidence for understanding development stage of Mesozoic trichopterans.

Carrion beetles from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Silphinae)

CHEN-YANG CAI — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Recent phylogenetic work has placed the family Silphidae within Staphylinidae as subfamily Silphinae. Despite this taxonomic progress, the early fossil record and the evolution of Silphinae remain incompletely understood. Here I describe Paracretosaja gen. nov. (type species: Paracretosaja newtoni sp. nov.) and Cretosaja thayerae sp. nov., based on well-preserved compression fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, northeastern China). Both new taxa possess paired stridulatory files on abdominal tergite V and a distinct, straight frontoclypeal suture that permit confident placement in the extant tribe Nicrophorini. An examination of new specimens of Cretosaja Sohn & Nam corrects several earlier character interpretations for C. jinjuensis Sohn & Nam. The presence of derived nicrophorines in multiple Early Cretaceous localities, together with slightly younger records from the Jinju Formation of South Korea, indicates a broad geographic distribution of Nicrophorini in eastern Asia. These fossils document that traits associated with communication and parental provisioning were established by the Early Cretaceous, and they imply that carrion-feeding beetles had already assumed important roles in nutrient recycling and terrestrial ecosystem functioning during the Mesozoic.

Farther East: New Ghilarellinae wasps (Hymenoptera: Sepulcidae) from the Albian of the Republic of Korea extend the geographic range of the subfamily

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The study of the invertebrate fauna of the lower Albian Jinju Formation (Republic of Korea) has experienced renewed interest over the past decade, with numerous new extinct species described each year. Among the various insect orders, Hymenoptera are relatively abundant in the assemblage, with many taxa being discovered and formally described on a regular basis. Within this group, Symphyta are particularly well represented, with series of specimens of varying preservation quality being documented. These newly discovered specimens frequently represent new species belonging to genera already known from subcontemporaneous deposits in China, Mongolia, and Russia, supporting the idea of a relatively homogeneous Early Cretaceous Asian entomofauna. Here, we further corroborate this pattern by describing a new species of Ghilarellinae assigned to the Asian genus Ghilarella, Ghilarella jinjuensis sp. nov. In addition, we describe a second species of the previously monotypic genus Meiaghilarella, which was formerly known only from Spain. The new species, Meiaghilarella stanislawlemi sp. nov., substantially extends the geographic range of the genus during the Albian, from a previously restricted occurrence in Spain to a trans-Laurasian distribution.

New data on Cicadomorpha from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China

YAN-ZHE FU, MATHIEU BODERAU, DOLEV FABRIKANT, ANDRÉ NEL — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota yielded exceptionally diverse and abundant insect fossils, yet its cicadomorphan record remains incompletely documented. Here, we describe new cicadomorphan specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Huangbanjigou, Beipiao City, northeastern China. The material includes Stellularis longirostris and Sinocercopis sp. (Procercopidae), a new species, Cretohylicella lambkini sp. nov., tentatively assigned to Hylicellidae, and a new specimen tentatively assigned to Cicadelloidea. This study enriches the cicadomorphan diversity of the Yixian Formation and provides new insights into the phytophagous insect assemblage of the Jehol Biota.

**A new Lapicixius planthopper species (Fulgoromorpha: Lalacidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China**

MATHIEU BODERAU, ANDRÉ NEL, YAN-ZHE FU — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Lapicixius yixianensis sp. nov., the second species of this genus, is described and illustrated on the basis of an almost complete specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. This new representative of the extinct hemipteran family Lalacidae increases the taxonomic diversity of the group during the Cretaceous. The affinities of the new fossil with described lalacid planthoppers and the validity of Lalacidae are discussed.

Preface: Early Cretaceous insects from East Asia: Palaeodiversity, palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology

CHEN-YANG CAI — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The Early Cretaceous, encompassing the Berriasian to Albian stages (approximately 143–100 Ma), was a time of critical geological and biological change. Global sea levels fluctuated, continents continued their reconfiguration following the breakup of Pangaea, and volcanic activity intensified in various regions, including East Asia...

Early Cretaceous insects from East Asia: Palaeodiversity, palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology (Title page)

YAN-ZHE FU, CORENTIN JOUAULT, DI-YING HUANG — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Early Cretaceous insects from East Asia: Palaeodiversity, palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology (Table of contents)

YAN-ZHE FU, CORENTIN JOUAULT, DI-YING HUANG — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300