Katerinka hilaris, Prokop & Nel, 2007

Prokop, Jakub & Nel, André, 2007, An enigmatic Palaeozoic stem-group: Paoliida, designation of new taxa from the Upper Carboniferous of the Czech Republic (Insecta: Paoliidae, Katerinkidae fam. n.), African Invertebrates 48 (1), pp. 77-86 : 83-84

Katerinka hilaris sp. n.

Figs 6, 7

Etymology: From Latin hilaris (cheerful).

Description: Wing dark in coloration, with clearly visible reticulate venation (so-called “archaedictyon”) and rather thick membrane, alternation of main veins not very prominent; wing fragment 40 mm long (estimated length about 50 mm), 15 mm wide (widest part at base of preserved portion); vein ScP rather poorly indicated as faint traces, but distinctly ending in RA only slightly distal of base of RP, very far from wing apex; net of small veinlets in area between C and RA (+ScP); RA convex, with three weak anterior branches near its apex; RA apparently ending near wing apex; RP base 30.2 mm from wing apex; RP concave with two main anterior branches, second terminally twigged; no convex vein MA, rather pronounced convex ‘arculus’ between concave median vein MP and convex CuA, 8.4 mm basad of RP base; MP divided into two main branches 5.5 mm basal to bifurcation RA and RP; anterior branch of MP straight, apically forked; posterior branch of MP with six posterior branches ending in posterior wing margin; distal part of CuA strongly sigmoidal, with five posterior branches ending in posterior wing margin but with no clear anterior branches; concave CuP with three apical branches; area between CuA and CuP with net of veinlets; two veins parallel to CuP, probably corresponding to anal veins, first apically forked.

Holotype: specimen B11978 counterpart of well preserved almost complete wing, missing basal part and tip of apex, costal area partly destroyed (originally Horák coll.). CZECH REPUBLIC: Upper Silesian Coal Basin , Doubrava Mine, borehole Cr 92, depth 201.8 m; Upper Carboniferous , Namurian – Westphalian A ( Langsettian ), absolute age about 315 Ma , Group of Hubert faunistic horizons, Lower–Upper Suchá Beds (Member), Karviná Formation.

Discussion: This fossil has the wing venation pattern of the ‘paoliid line’ sensu KukalováPeck and Brauckmann (1992), with a concave MP, no convex MA between MP and RP, a strong convex ‘arculus’ between convex CuA and MP, and a concave CuP. It differs from all the families that Kukalová-Peck and Brauckmann (1992) included in the ‘paoliid line’ in its short ScP ending in RA just distal to base of RP, and wide costal area between RA (+ScP) and C. Therefore we propose a new family for this fossil, probably closely related to the Paoliidae .

Figures

Figs 6, 7. Katerinka hilaris gen. et sp. n. (Katerinkidae fam. n.), photograph and line drawing of holotype specimen B11978, collection of the Municipal Museum of Ostrava.