Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera)
We critically re-examine 17 records of fossils currently assigned to the lepidopteran superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes the silk moths, emperor moths and hawk moths. These records include subfossils, compression and impression fossils, permineralizations and ichnofossils. We assess whether obs...
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16049.pdf |
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| author | Maria Heikkilä Joël Minet Andreas Zwick Anna Hundsdoerfer Rodolphe Rougerie Ian J. Kitching |
| author_facet | Maria Heikkilä Joël Minet Andreas Zwick Anna Hundsdoerfer Rodolphe Rougerie Ian J. Kitching |
| author_sort | Maria Heikkilä |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We critically re-examine 17 records of fossils currently assigned to the lepidopteran superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes the silk moths, emperor moths and hawk moths. These records include subfossils, compression and impression fossils, permineralizations and ichnofossils. We assess whether observable morphological features warrant their confident assignment to the superfamily. None of the examined fossils displays characters that allow unequivocal identification as Sphingidae, but three fossils and a subfossil (Mioclanis shanwangiana Zhang, Sun and Zhang, 1994, two fossil larvae, and a proboscis in asphaltum) have combinations of diagnostic features that support placement in the family. The identification of a fossil pupa as Bunaeini (Saturniidae) is well supported. The other fossils that we evaluate lack definitive bombycoid and, in several cases, even lepidopteran characters. Some of these dubious fossils have been used as calibration points in earlier studies casting doubt on the resulting age estimates. All fossil specimens reliably assigned to Bombycoidea are relatively young, the earliest fossil evidence of the superfamily dating to the middle Miocene. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:48:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38c7304de4e145838e55c6eddd4f0887 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:48:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-38c7304de4e145838e55c6eddd4f08872023-12-03T12:18:30ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-11-0111e1604910.7717/peerj.16049Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera)Maria Heikkilä0Joël Minet1Andreas Zwick2Anna Hundsdoerfer3Rodolphe Rougerie4Ian J. Kitching5Finnish Museum of Natural History, Luomus, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, FranceAustralian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, AustraliaMolecular Laboratory, Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, GermanyInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, FranceNatural History Museum, London, United KingdomWe critically re-examine 17 records of fossils currently assigned to the lepidopteran superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes the silk moths, emperor moths and hawk moths. These records include subfossils, compression and impression fossils, permineralizations and ichnofossils. We assess whether observable morphological features warrant their confident assignment to the superfamily. None of the examined fossils displays characters that allow unequivocal identification as Sphingidae, but three fossils and a subfossil (Mioclanis shanwangiana Zhang, Sun and Zhang, 1994, two fossil larvae, and a proboscis in asphaltum) have combinations of diagnostic features that support placement in the family. The identification of a fossil pupa as Bunaeini (Saturniidae) is well supported. The other fossils that we evaluate lack definitive bombycoid and, in several cases, even lepidopteran characters. Some of these dubious fossils have been used as calibration points in earlier studies casting doubt on the resulting age estimates. All fossil specimens reliably assigned to Bombycoidea are relatively young, the earliest fossil evidence of the superfamily dating to the middle Miocene.https://peerj.com/articles/16049.pdfAttacus? fossilisBombycites buechiiBombycites oeningensisMioclanis shanwangianaSphingidites weidneriCompression fossils |
| spellingShingle | Maria Heikkilä Joël Minet Andreas Zwick Anna Hundsdoerfer Rodolphe Rougerie Ian J. Kitching Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) PeerJ Attacus? fossilis Bombycites buechii Bombycites oeningensis Mioclanis shanwangiana Sphingidites weidneri Compression fossils |
| title | Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) |
| title_full | Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) |
| title_fullStr | Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) |
| title_short | Critical re-examination of known purported fossil Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera) |
| title_sort | critical re examination of known purported fossil bombycoidea lepidoptera |
| topic | Attacus? fossilis Bombycites buechii Bombycites oeningensis Mioclanis shanwangiana Sphingidites weidneri Compression fossils |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16049.pdf |
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