310 
Psyche 
[Vol. 94 
sylvanian, whereas a small number of species are typically Missis- 
sippi. Therefore, we consider this upper flora, as well as the 
insect, to be lowermost Namurian B in age. 
The insect specimen described in this paper is a compression fossil 
consisting of the body, four wings, cerci, legs, and antennae. It is 
assigned to Brodioptera of the paleopterous order Megasecoptera, 
which is related to the orders Diaphaneropterodea and Paleodicty- 
optera. All of these Paleozoic orders had sucking beaks and proba- 
bly fed by sucking the contents of fructifications and cones of 
lycopods, cordaiteans, and pteridosperms (Kukalova-Peck, 1983, 
1985). 
The oldest North American pterygote insect known so far is Met- 
ropator pusillus Handlirsch collected near “Altamount Colliery” in 
the Anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania (Carpenter, 1965). It is 
of historical note that there were two Altamount Collieries both 
near Frackville, Pennsylvania. Coal mined at the Altamount Col- 
liery #1 was in the Tumbling Run Member of the Pottsville Forma- 
tion which is Morrowan (Late Namurian) in age and coal mined at 
the Altamount Colliery #2 was in The Sharp Mountain Member of 
this same formation. The latter member is of Atokan (partly West- 
phalian B and partly Westphalian C) age. Since the coals for the 
Altamount Colliery are not older than the Tumbling Run Member, 
then the oldest this insect can be is Namurian B. 
A rich Namurian entomofauna has been described from Europe, 
including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, and numerous speci- 
mens from the Ruhr Valley of West Germany. Further, two very 
well preserved and almost complete wings of Protodonata were 
reported from Namurian strata of Argentina in South America by 
Riek and Kukalova-Peck (1984). 
The order Megasecoptera occurs from Upper Carboniferous to 
Upper Permian (Brues, Melander, and Carpenter, 1954). The 
numerous families composing this order have been separated mainly 
on differences in their venation. Most members of this order have 
been named on the basis of single wings. Because of its complete- 
ness, the specimen from the Manning Canyon Shale is a significant 
contribution. 
