Aquisextana irenaei

Jong, Rienk De, 2017, Fossil butterflies, calibration points and the molecular clock (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea), Zootaxa 4270 (1), pp. 1-63 : 29

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.583183

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2D00AFF5-4FE2-4EC1-A328-C8670CFB8D6D

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6046985

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AA87D3-285C-FFCB-F7F0-FBDFFEE4B7CD

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Aquisextana irenaei
status

 

irenaei View in CoL . Aquisextana irenaei Théobald, 1937

Lycaenidae (?).

France, Bouches-du-Rhône, Aix-en-Provence; Chattian–Aquitanian, late Oligocene–early Miocene.

Depository: IGMF (holotype, Ma 1).

Published figures: Théobald (1937: Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURES 3 – 4 ); Leestmans (1983: Fig. 19 View FIGURES 19 – 21 ).

A fairly well preserved specimen, showing all wings (partly overlapping), head with appendices, thorax and abdomen. According to the original description, the fossil is seen from the underside. If correct, the legs are lost. The antennae thicken gradually towards the club. They are supposed to be inserted before the eyes. This is an impossible antennal inserting area and if the insect is really seen from the underside, the insertion of the antennae should not be seen at all. Eyes elongate-oval, hairy. No emargination at the base of the antennae (apomorphy of Lycaenidae ) mentioned, but otherwise not visible in ventral view. Forewing, length 21 mm; radial formula 1, 2, 3+4, with R4 ending on the outer margin just below the apex. This radial formula is found in Pieridae (e.g. Eurema Hübner , [1819]) and many Lycaenidae . In most Lycaenidae R4 terminates at the apex or on the costa close to the apex, in the Pieridae and in a few Lycaenidae , such as Curetis Hübner , [1819], an Oriental genus. In the Liphyrinae , an Old-World subfamily [see Eliot 1973], mentioned by Théobald (1937), the arrangement is not comparable, there being five radial branches and R4 terminates on the outer margin. As remarked by Théobald (1937), Curetis has a heavier thorax. Moreover, Curetis has a very different wing shape, triangular, with a straight outer margin and rectangular tornus, contrasting with the more elongate wing of the fossil, possessing a convex outer margin and rounded tornus.

On the wings a number of small dark spots are visible. Because of these spots, the general appearance and the eyes, Théobald believes his fossil to be a lycaenid, which is not close enough to any recent genus for assignment. Therefore, he erected a new genus for the fossil. From the discussion above it may be clear that evidence for a lycaenid relationship is hardly more convincing than for a pierid relationship, except that the modest size and the small dark spots that point to Lycaenidae . For want of better evidence, we follow Théobald and list this fossil under the Lycaenidae .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Lycaenidae

Genus

Aquisextana

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