REDESCRIPTION OF PARAPAOLIA SUPERBA 
(SCUDDER) (PROTORTHOPTERA) 
By F. M. Carpenter 
Harvard University 
In a general account of Palaeozoic insects, published in 
1885, Scudder included keys to species of certain genera 
related to Dictyoneura (Palaeodictyoptera) . One of the 
species mentioned under the genus Paolia was designated 
as new and named superba. The fossil was said by Scudder 
to have been collected at Mazon Creek, Illinois, by L. M. 
Umbach. Unfortunately, Scudder’s description consisted 
of a single short sentence without the aid of a figure. What 
happened to the specimen after Scudder’s examination of it 
is not clear ; Handlirsch was unable to find it when he was 
preparing his revision of American Palaeozoic insects. 
At any rate, in 1918 it was in the possession of Dr. Umbach, 
who sold it at that time to the Field Museum of Natural 
History in Chicago. Through the courtesy of the authorities 
of the Museum I have been able to borrow the fossil and to 
prepare the following redescription and illustration. For 
reasons given below, I am placing the species in the family 
Palaeocixiidae of the Order Protorthoptera. 
Genus Parapaolia Handlirsch 
Parapaolia Handlirsch, 1906, Foss. Ins. : 121. 
This genus was erected for superba without mention of 
generic characteristics. It differs from Palaeocixius, to 
which it seems to be related, by having the media forked 
at about mid-wing, instead of at the level of the origin of Rs. 
Parapaolia superba (Scudder) 
Figure 1 
Paolia superba Scudder, 1885, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 
Sci., 20:173. Parapaolia superba Handlirsch, 1906, Foss. 
Ins. :121. 
Fore wing, length, 90 mm. ; width, 23 mm. Sc terminating 
108 
