The first Palaeodictyoptera (Insecta) from the Carboniferous-Permian basin of Graissessac (France)

Antoine Logghe (1) , Romain Garrouste (2) , Jean-Sebastien Steyer (1) , Jean-Marc Pouillon (3) , André Nel (2)

1 CR2P - Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris
2 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité
3 Chercheur indépendant

A new dictyoneurid insect, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. from the Latest Ghzelian-Asselian basin of Graissessac (Hérault, France) is described in details. It is represented by a wellpreserved specimen with wings of 32-35 mm long and 13-14 mm wide and other peculiar diagnostic characters such a MP with four branches and a CuP with three branches. As all the other Dictyoneura species are known from the Namurian and/or the Wesphalian, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. is the youngest representative of the genus. It is also the first record of the order Palaeodictyoptera from the Graissessac basin. The Carboniferous-Permian palaeodictyopterans are well-known to have lived in rather humid swamp forests. The global warming and drying of the climate during the Permian and/or the rise of potential predators may be responsible of their extinction.

Mots clés: Insecta; Palaeoptera; Carboniferous-Permian; Capitanian extinction; climatic changes; France

Domaines: Paléontologie

Antoine Logghe, Romain Garrouste, Jean-Sebastien Steyer, Jean-Marc Pouillon, André Nel. The first Palaeodictyoptera (Insecta) from the Carboniferous-Permian basin of Graissessac (France). Historical Biology, 2021, 34 (3), pp.486-492. ⟨10.1080/08912963.2021.1929953⟩. ⟨hal-03257982⟩