Bizarre egg structure uncovers a new family of Plecoptera (Insecta) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Abstract

A new fossil stonefly, Perspicuusoperla lata gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved female adult and its eggs in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new taxon exhibits a combination of diagnostic morphologies, such as two crossveins between anterior radius (RA) and posterior radius (RP), broad subgenital plate exceeding abdomen tip, and entirely membranous eggs that cannot be incorporated into any known stonefly families. Perspicuusoperlidae, fam. nov. is established based on Perspicuusoperla gen. nov. and its systematic position is preliminarily discussed based on morphological comparison with other stoneflies. Palaeobiological implications are inferred from the egg morphology. This study represents the earliest known and best-preserved fossil record of extinct stonefly eggs.