Oldest webspinners from the middle jurassic of inner mongolia, China (insecta: Embiodea)

Abstract

The oldest webspinners, Sinembia rossi gen. et sp. nov. and Juraembia ningchengensis gen. et sp. nov., are described in the new family Sinembiidae fam. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. They differ from the Cretaceous and more recent Embiodea in several plesiomorphic characters, namely they have a long ovipositor, three-segmented cerci, eyes situated on the posterolateral angles of the head, and the prothoracic prescutum is absent: these characters suggest habits that strongly differ from those of the recent taxa. The loss of the ovipositor and the reduction in the number of cerci can no longer be considered as synapomorphies of the ((Embiodea + Zoraptera) + Plecoptera) and (Embiodea + Zoraptera) clades, respectively. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London.