Aix-en-Provence (Theobald Coll) (Oligocene of France)

Where: Bouches-Du-Rhone, France (43.5° N, 5.5° E: paleocoordinates 43.3° N, 2.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation, Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• "The ‘insect formation’ is 2.5 m thick, divided in two parts that correspond to two very different environmental conditions. The first (lower) episode is remarkable by its lateral mo- notony of facies on a distance of 6 km at least, in the outcrops observed on the northwest of Aix-en-Provence. This lower episode is distinguished from the rest of the ‘insect formation’ and from the whole formation of Aix-en-Provence by the presence of a very numerous thin limestone laminae. The second (upper) episode is remarkable by the presence of many silici- fied laminae. The fauna in this level is also very well preserved"….This collection consists of unspecified layers

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified limestone

• This lacustrine formation was deposited in a very large but shallow-water lake, with variable salinity and near the marine coast (Nury 1990, Nury & Thomassin 1994). Irregular basins formed during extension of the European platform in the Oligocene resulting from the formation of the West-European rift system.
• The deposit presents an alternation of limestone and marls with gypsum.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: mold/impression, adpression

Collected by N. Theobald

Primary reference: N. Theobald. 1937. Les insectes fossiles des terrains oligocènes de France. Bulletin Mensuel (Mémoires) de la Société des Sciences de Nancy 1:1-473 [M. Clapham/J. Karr]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 122508: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Jered Karr on 31.12.2011, edited by Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Insecta
 Diptera - Limoniidae
"Ilisia gracilis n. sp." = Symplecta (Psiloconopa) gracilis, Dicranomyia antennifera n. sp.
"Ilisia gracilis n. sp." = Symplecta (Psiloconopa) gracilis Theobald 1937 crane fly
Coll Theobald A 1004
Dicranomyia antennifera n. sp. Theobald 1937 crane fly
Coll Theobald A 1001
 Diptera - Bombyliidae
Dischistus tertiarius n. sp. Theobald 1937 bee fly
Coll Theobald A 1006, 1007
 Diptera - Chloropidae
Chlorops aquisextanus n. sp. Theobald 1937 fly
Coll Theobald A 1003
 Diptera - Muscidae
? Hydrotaea maculipennis n. sp. Theobald 1937 house fly
Coll Theobald A 1020
 Diptera - Syrphidae
Eristalis paucisinuatus n. sp. Theobald 1937 hover fly
Coll Theobald A 1005
 Hemiptera - Rhyparochromidae
Aphanus pulchellus Heer 1853 seed bug
Coll Theobald A 1019
 Hemiptera - Alydidae
Daclera naturalis n. sp. Theobald 1937 broad-headed bug
Coll Theobald A 1014, 1015
Daclera cf. naturalis Theobald 1937 broad-headed bug
Coll Theobald A 1018
Leptoserinetha navicularis n. gen. n. sp. Theobald 1937 broad-headed bug
Coll Theobald A 1016
 Hemiptera - Aphrophoridae
Aphrophora coquandi Theobald 1937 froghopper
Coll Theobald A 1012(1013)
 Hemiptera - Aphididae
"Tetraneura oligocenica n. sp." = Aixaphis oligocenica
"Tetraneura oligocenica n. sp." = Aixaphis oligocenica Théobald 1937 aphid
Coll Theobald A 1017
 Hymenoptera - Pteromalidae
Ferrierelus bernardi n. gen. n. sp.
Ferrierelus bernardi n. gen. n. sp. Theobald 1937 chalcid wasp
Coll Theobald A 1024
 Hymenoptera -
Pantoclis manevali n. sp. Theobald 1937 wasp
Coll Theobald A 1010, 1008, 1009, 1011
 Hymenoptera - Braconidae
Rhysiopolis distinctus Theobald 1937 wasp
Coll Theobald A 1025
Aphidius maximus n. sp. Theobald 1937 wasp
Coll Theobald A 1021
Alysia meunieri n. sp. Theobald 1937 wasp
Coll Theobald A 1023
 Hymenoptera - Ichneumonidae
Exacrodus flexuosus n. sp. Theobald 1937 ichneumon wasp
Coll Theobald A 1026
Fintona cf. nigripalpis Cameron 1909 ichneumon wasp
Coll Theobald A 1022
 Hymenoptera - Tenthredinidae
"Eriocampa oligocenica n. sp." = Hylotomites robusta
"Eriocampa oligocenica n. sp." = Hylotomites robusta Meunier 1914 wood wasp
Coll Theobald A 1028