The Avion locality is a carboniferous lagerstätte in France. This lagerstätte is located in a coal slag-heap outside the town of Avion in the region of Pas-de-Calais. Unfortunately, as this slag heap is closed and no new fossils are able to be obtained outside of the paleobiota previously identified. In addition, the coal where the scraps are obtained has not been assigned to any formation.
Paleobiota identified
Arthropods
ArthropodsGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesArchaeogerarusA. schubneliArchaeogeraridae (Archaeorthoptera)Placed in a monotypic familyAviobiellaA. garrousteiPermobiellidae (Caloneurodea)AviobreyeriaA. gracilisBreyeriidae (Palaeodictyoptera)Discovered alongside indeterminate immature breyeriidsAviocladusA. pectinatusCnemidolestodea (Archaeorthoptera)Indeterminate family, as finer cnemidolestodean relationships are unclearAviogrammaA. gracilisCaloneurodeaIndeterminate familyAviohapalopteraA. bethouxiArchaeorthopteraDifferent from all other archaeorthopteran familiesAviologusA. duquesneiArchaeorthopteraSimilar to HeterologusAvionblattinopsisA. oudardiBlattinopsidae (Paoliida)First blattinopsid known from AvionAvionbrodiaA. incompletaDiaphanopterodea?AvionpaoliaA. amansfossilaPaoliidaSpecies name translates to “those who love fossils”, recognising the efforts of people who collected fossils from AvionAvionpteraA. communeauiFatjanopteridae (Plecoptera)Related to the formerly enigmatic genus FatjanopteraAvionugonioneuraA. jouaultiNugonioneuridae? (Archaeorthoptera)Most similar to nugonioneurids, but still differs somewhat from them AvionxixiaA. guiCnemidolestidae (Archaeorthoptera)Similar to the Chinese genus XixiaAviorrhynchaA. magnificaAviorrhynchidae (Hemiptera)Earliest known hemipteranAvioxyelaA. gallicaStem-Hymenoptera (Hymenopterida)Earliest known hymenopteran relativeBeloattaB. duquesneiEoblattidae (Polyneoptera)CacurgusC. avionensisCacurgidae (Archaeorthoptera)Discovery led to Cacurgidae being moved closer to OrthopteraCarbonatura C. oudardi Carbonaturidae (stem group Auchenorrhyncha) Carbopsyllidium C. minutum Permopsyllidiidae (Hemiptera) EnigmapteraE. magnificaPaneodonatoptera (Odonatoptera)One of numerous convergently damselfly-like odonatopteransFusiogrammaF. minutaCaloneurodea (Archaeorthoptera)A relatively small archaeorthopteranGallotupusG. oudardiMeganeuridaeOne of the first insects described from AvionGulouG. oudardiPlecopteraShares a genus with a fossil from the Yanghugou FormationHomoiopteridae indet.UnapplicablePaleodictyopteraKnown from a base of a ~20 cm-long wingJacquesoudardiaJ. magnificaProtozygopteraBears convergently damselfly-like wingsPaoliaP. spPaoliidaKnown from a fragmentary wingPiesbergopterumP. avionensisCnemidolestodea (Archaeorthoptera)Also known from Piesburg quarry as its name suggestsSpilapteraS. splendensSpilapteridaeNamed after the fossil’s exquisite preservationTheiatitanT. azariTitanopteraEarliest known titanopteran, may have communicated via wing-produced light flashes or crepitation (crackling sounds produced from wingbeats in some orthopterans)WestphalomeropeW. maryvonneaeProtomeropidae (Panorpida)Earliest holometabolan insect discovered (when it was described)WestphalopsocusW. pumilioWestphalopsocidae (Psocodea)Earliest known psocodeanWestphalothripidesW. oudardiWestphalothripidesidae (Stem-Thysanoptera)Earliest known thrips
References