New Paleogene mantises from the Oise amber and their evolutionary importance

Abstract

Mantodea are rather scarce in the fossil record, especially those belonging to the mantise crown group. Four fossil mantids are described from the lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France), two Chaeteessidae considered as “genus and species incertae sedis”, and two Mantoididae, described as a new genus and species Pseudomantoida extendidera. We also describe a new specimen of Arvernineura insignis from the Paleocene of Menat (France), confirming the attribution of this taxon to the Chaeteessidae. These fossils are of great interest for future dating of the crown group Mantodea, being the oldest Chaeteessidae and Mantoididae. We propose a new genus name Louispitonia nom. nov. in replacement of Archaeophlebia Piton, 1940 preoccupied by Archaeophlebia Ris, 1909 (Odonata) with Archaeophlebia enigmatica as its type species.

Keywords

• insecta
• mantodea
• chaeteessidae
• mantoididae
• paleocene
• eocene
• france