Published June 2, 2026
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The first fossil member of Aphalaridae (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Psylloidea) from the Miocene of Southern Germany (Randeck Maar)
Authors/Creators
- 1. Museum of Nature Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- 2. Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, Switzerland
Description
Caillardia sueva Burckhardt, Serbina & Kotthoff, sp. nov., a new species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), is described from the Early/Middle Miocene deposits of the Randeck Maar (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) based on the imprints of a single male specimen. It represents the first Miocene record of the subfamily Aphalarinae (Aphalaridae) from Europe. The fossil is assigned to the genus Caillardia, based on the absence of genal processes, the transversely rectangular pronotum (in dorsal view), the shape, venation and pattern of the forewings, as well as the comparatively large male subgenital plate. This discovery draws attention to this neglected and often overlooked insect group and it is hoped that more fossils may be discovered in European Miocene deposits.
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References
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