JURASSIC 91 



Lepidoptera, had come into existence before it terminated. 

 The earhest true Hymenoptera occur in Upper Jurassic strata 

 and include both Symphyta and Parasitica. In the Lower 

 Purbeck beds of England, but more especially in the contem- 

 poraneous Solenhofen slates of Bavaria, there are abundant 

 remains of primitive wood-wasps of the genus Pseudosirex. From 

 rocks of similar age at Montsech in Spain there has been found an 

 Ichneumonoid genus, Ephialtites, which is regarded by Handlirsch 

 as intermediate in character between the Symphyta and Apocrita. 

 The recent discoveries of Martynov (1925) in Turkestan have 

 brought to light (a) Paroryssus, a genus which appears to be 

 annectant between the living Oryssidae and the most primitive 

 Ichneumonoidea ; (h) Anaccyela, a form antecedent to Xiphidria ; 

 (c) Mesaulacinus, which is referred to the Evaniidae ; and {d) the 

 Proctotrypoid Mesohelorus. 



True Diptera, belonging to the orthorrhaphous series, appear 

 for the first time in the Upper Lias of Europe, together with the 

 earliest known fossil Trichoptera. The Diptera include Rhyphidae, 

 Bibionidae and other Nematocerous families from the Upper Lias 

 of Mecklenberg and the Upper Jurassic of England. The remains 

 of Upper Rhaetic crane-flies, described by Wieland in 1925, from 

 South America, have since been referred by Tillyard to the 

 Homopterous family Scytinopteridae. In the Upper Lias of 

 England are also found early Diptera of the family Architipulidae 

 (Tillyard, 1933). The Trichoptera are referred to the family 

 Necrotaulidae, which has close affinities with the existing 

 Rhyacophilidae. In Liassic times in Europe dragon-flies of the 

 now almost extinct sub-order Anisozygoptera were abundant and 

 true Anisoptera first appear in the Upper Jurassic.. In rocks of 

 Middle Jurassic date a few wings and nymphs of some early 

 Plecoptera have been found in Siberia. Neuroptera are well 

 represented in the Lias and Upper Jurassic of Europe by the 

 Prohemerobiidae, the large and striking Calligrammatidae, together 

 with allied forms. Other dominant Jurassic insects include 

 Coleoptera, which are plentiful in rocks of this age in Europe, 

 while both sub-orders of the Hemiptera are represented by well- 

 preserved fossil remains. Several recent families of Heteroptera, 



