The Yanghugou Formation, also known as the Tupo Formation, is a mid-late Carboniferous formation from China. It contains the Xiaheyan locality, a lagerstätte preserving numerous insects.
Paleobiota After Wang et al. (2022)
Arthropods
ArthropodsGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesAseripterellaA. sinensisErasipteridaeName is an anagram of Erasipterella'''s
|Brodioptera|B. sinensis|Brodiopteridae (Megasecoptera) |Known from several specimens, including some likely freshly-emerged imagoes/subimagoes, alongside likely having sensory setae on its wings
|Chenxiella|C. liuae|Archaeorthoptera |Similar to “lobeattids”, specifically Sinopteron| |- |Ctenoptilus|C. frequens|Ctenoptilidae (Archaeorthoptera) |Likely omnivorous and laid its eggs in the ground, based on mandible and ovipositor anatomy
|Dictyoptera indet. |Unapplicable |Polyneoptera |Contains three unnamed “roachoid” species, which are distinct from the two named species but have too little material to be named themselves
|Erasipterella|E. jini|Erasipteridae |Synonymous with the genus “Sinierasiptera”
|Gulou|G. carpenteri|Plecoptera |Earliest known stonefly fossil
|Haidilaozhen|H. cuiae|Haidilaozhenidae (Odonatoptera) |Convergently evolved wings similar to damselflies
|Heterologus|H. duyiwuer|Archaeorthoptera
|Kinklidoblatta|K. youhei|Dictyoptera incertae sedis|Indeterminate family
|Longzhua|L. loculata|Archaeorthoptera |Carnivorous and predatory, likely related to cnemidolestodeans
|Miamia|M. maimai|Archaeorthoptera |Species name is both an anagram of the genus and translated to “buried veins”
|Namuroningxia|N. elegans|Namuroningxiidae (Palaeodictyoptera) |Wing venation resembles several distinct clades of palaeopteran insects
|Namuroptera|N. minuta|Aykhalidae (Megasecoptera) |Relatively small
|Oligotypus|O. huangheensis|Paralogidae |Synonymous with the monotypic genus “Sinomeganeura”
|Phtanomiamia|P. gui|Archaeorthoptera |Similar to Miamia| |- |Protomiamia|P. yangi|Archaeorthoptera |Similar to “lobeattids”, male is smaller than the female
|Qilianiblatta|Q. namuriensis|Phylloblattidae? (Eoblattodea) |Earliest known dictyopteran
|Shenzhousia|S. qilianshanensis|Meganeuridae |A griffinfly with single wing length about 16 cm
|Sinodiapha|S. ramosa|Sinodiaphidae (Megasecopteromorpha) |An unusual transitional form between Megasecoptera and Diaphanopterodea
|Sinodunbaria|S. jarmilae|Spilapteridae |Known from a nearly complete fossil, has dark wings with light banding
|Sinoerasipteron|S. xiaheyanensis|Erasipteridae |Known from a partial forewing
|Sinogerarus|S. pectinatus|Archaeorthoptera |Similar to Gerarus, but only known from a partial forewing
|Sinonamuropteris|S. ningxianensis|Grylloblattodea |Synonymised with several other species and three separate genera
|Sinopalaeopteryx|S. olivieri, S. splendens|Aykhalidae (Megasecoptera)
|Sinopteron|S. huangheense|Archaeorthoptera |Higher clade within Archaeorthoptera indeterminate
|Sylphalula|S. laliquei|Erasipteridae |Known from a poorly preserved specimen, but has unusually few wing veins and is quite small
|Tupus|T. orientalis|Meganeuridae |Formerly included in its own genus, “Paragilsonia”
|Tytthospilaptera|T. wangae|Spilapteridae |Smallest palaeodictyopteran known, with a wingspan of around 2 cm
|Xiaheyanella|X. orta|Calvertiellidae (Palaeodictyoptera) |Earliest calvertiellid, yet still has some of their derived wing venation characters
|Xixia|X. huban|Cnemidolestodea (Archaeorthoptera) |Has an unusual pattern of dark patches on its wings
|Carbolohmannia|C. maimaiphilus|Mixonomata (Oribatida) |Earliest phoretic mite known, phoretic on the insect Miamia maimai| |- |Laevitealliocaris|L. xiaheyanensis''Tealliocarididae (Pygocephalomorpha)First tealliocaridid from outside Europe or America
Other Organisms
Other OrganismsGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesHuanghelepisH. paniPalaeonisciformesNingxiaplatysomusN. parvusPlatysomiformes (Actinopterygii)ZhongweilepisZ. macilentusPalaeonisciformesResembles both Chondrostei and HolosteiNudasporestrobusN. ningxicusLepidodendralesLikely a Sigillaria cone
References