Chresmoda is an extinct genus of insects within the family Chresmodidae.

Chresmoda
Temporal range: Tithonian–Cenomanian [1]
Fossil specimen of Chresmoda obscura from Germany, on display at Galerie de paléontologie et d'anatomie comparée in Paris
Scientific classification
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Chresmoda

Germar 1839
Synonyms
  • Propygolampis

Description edit

 
Reconstruction of C.obscura

Chresmoda are large enigmatic insects with very long specialized legs, probably adapted for skating on the water surface similar to pond skaters. They can reach a body length of about 25 millimetres (0.98 in), with a forewing length of about 28 millimetres (1.1 in).[1] Some lagre specimens could reached a size of about 19 centimetres (7.5 in).[2]

These Polyneoptera of uncertain position have been considered aquatic and living on the water surface, probably predaceous on nektonic small animals.[3][4]

They lived during the Cretaceous of Brazil,[5] China,[6] Lebanon,[4] Spain, United Kingdom, Mongolia and Myanmar, as well as in the Late Jurassic of Germany, from 150.8 to 93.5 Ma from the Tithonian to the Cenomanian ages.[1] While most species are known from compression fossils, Chresmoda chikuni is known from well preserved 3-dimensional specimens in amber.[7]

Species edit

[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Chresmoda". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Fossil mit der ID: 1780 - Chresmoda obscura GERMAR, 1839 - Die Fossilien von Solnhofen". solnhofen-fossilienatlas.de. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  3. ^ A. G. Ponomarenko Fossil insects from the Tithonian «Solnhofener Plattenkalke» in the Museum of Natural History, Vienna
  4. ^ a b Nel, Andre; Azar, Dany; Martinez-Delclos, Xavier; Makhoul, Edouard (2004-03-25). "A new Upper Cretaceous species of Chresmoda from Lebanon - a latest representative of Chresmodidae (Insecta: Polyneoptera inc. sed.): first record of homeotic mutations in the fossil record of insects". European Journal of Entomology. 101 (1): 145–151. doi:10.14411/eje.2004.019.
  5. ^ Delclòs, Xavier; Nel, André; Azar, Dany; Bechly, Günter; Dunlop, Jason A.; Engel, Michael S.; Heads, Sam W. (2008-03-01). "The enigmatic Mesozoic insect taxon Chresmodidae (Polyneoptera): New palaeobiological and phylogenetic data, with the description of a new species from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 247 (3): 353–381. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2008/0247-0353.
  6. ^ Zhang, Xinwen; Ren, Dong; Pang, Hong; Shih, Chungkun (2010-01-27). "Late Mesozoic Chresmodids with Forewing from Inner Mongolia, China (Polyneoptera: Archaeorthoptera)". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 84 (1): 38–46. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00168.x.
  7. ^ Weiwei Zhang, Wanzhi Cai, Wenzhu Li, Xingke Yang, Siqin Ge (2017). "A new species of Chresmodidae from Mid-Cretaceous amber discovered in Myanmar" (PDF). Zoological Systematics. 42 (2): 243–247. doi:10.11865/zs.201714.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Solnhofen Fossilien Atlas
  9. ^ A. G. Ponomarenko Fossil insects from the Tithonian «Solnhofener Plattenkalke» in the Museum of Natural History, Vienna

External links edit