Author:
Szabó Márton,Szabó Péter,Kóbor Péter,Ősi Attila
Abstract
Abstract
Cockroaches (Blattaria s. str.) were documented from numerous amber localities around the world, representing both extinct and extant families. Alienopteridae is an extinct cockroach family known only from the Cretaceous of Gondwana (Brazil, Botswana, Myanmar amber) and the Cenozoic of North America. Alienopterix santonicus sp. n. from the Late Cretaceous amber of the Ajka Coal Formation (Bakony Mts, western Hungary) extends the rich geographical distribution of the family into Laurasia during the Mesozoic. As a member of the presumably pollinator cohort Alienopteridae, this species could have played an important role in the Ajka Coal ecosystem during the Santonian. The microrectangular structures of the forewing suggest that the new species likely possessed a metallic colouration already known from the group. Combined with the disruptive body pattern this could have served as an advanced camouflage. The microrectangular structures of the forewing were compared to integument microstructures of extant insects with metallic colouration. Various arthropod taxa are already known from ajkaite, and the new discovery further emphasizes the importance of this amber.
Funder
MTA-ELTE Lendület Dinosaur Research Group
Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal
Eötvös Loránd University
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Cell Biology,Plant Science,Genetics,Molecular Biology,Animal Science and Zoology,Biochemistry,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cited by
5 articles.
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