Florissant (BMNH Collection) (Eocene of the United States)

Where: Teller County, Colorado (38.9° N, 105.3° W: paleocoordinates 40.4° N, 97.0° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Florissant Formation, Chadronian (37.2 - 33.9 Ma)

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified, diatomaceous, tuffaceous shale

• "shales"

Size class: mesofossils

Preservation: adpression

Reposited in the BMNH

Primary reference: A. L. Melander. 1949. A Report on Some Miocene Diptera from Florissant, Colorado. American Museum Novitates 1407:1-61 [C. Labandeira/C. Labandeira/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 124680: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 21.02.2012

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Bather (1909) lists other specimens, but many likely are counterparts of specimens in other museums, so only known unique one are included.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Insecta
 Diptera - Empididae
Rhamphomyia morticina n. sp.
Rhamphomyia morticina n. sp. Melander 1949 dagger fly
BMNH I.7361, 7362
 Diptera - Glossinidae
"Glossina oligocena" = Glossina oligocenus2
"Glossina oligocena" = Glossina oligocenus2 Scudder 1892 tsetse fly
BMNH In.8421
 Diptera - Apsilocephalidae
"Rueppellia vagabunda n. sp." = Palaeoapsilocephala vagabunda5
"Rueppellia vagabunda n. sp." = Palaeoapsilocephala vagabunda5 Cockerell 1927 fly
BMNH In.26827 (Sternberg coll)
 Diptera - Nemestrinidae
Neorhynchocephalus melanderi
Neorhynchocephalus melanderi Cockerell 1908 tangle-veined fly
BMNH I.7383
 Diptera - Bibionidae
Bibio wickhami5
Bibio wickhami5 Cockerell 1915 march fly
Sternberg coll
 Diptera - Limoniidae
Rhabdomastix (Sacandaga) praecursor n. sp.5, Limnocema sternbergi n. sp.5
Rhabdomastix (Sacandaga) praecursor n. sp.5 Cockerell 1927 crane fly
BMNH In.26832 (Sternberg coll)
Limnocema sternbergi n. sp.5 Cockerell 1927 crane fly
BMNH In.26826 (Sternberg coll)
 Diptera - Tipulidae
Tipula rigens5
Tipula rigens5 Scudder 1894 crane fly
Sternberg coll
 Diptera - Chironomidae
Chironomus proterus n. sp.
Chironomus proterus n. sp. Melander 1949 non biting midge
BMNH I.7358, 7359
 Hemiptera - Nabidae
Miocoris fagi n. gen. n. sp.7
Miocoris fagi n. gen. n. sp.7 Cockerell 1927 true bug
BMNH In.26927 (Sternberg 99B)
 Hemiptera - Gerridae
Gerris protobates n. sp.7
Gerris protobates n. sp.7 Cockerell 1927 water strider
BMNH In.26925 (Sternberg 73)
 Hymenoptera - Pemphredonidae
Florimena impressa n. gen. n. sp.1
Florimena impressa n. gen. n. sp.1 Antropov 2017 aphid wasp
NHM In.26954
 Hymenoptera - Formicidae
"Euponera hendersoni" = Protazteca hendersoni5, Protazteca elongata3, "Formica impacta n. sp." = Miomyrmex impactus5, Liometopum miocenicum3, Dolichoderus rohweri3, "Dolichoderus (Hypoclinea) antiquus" = Dolichoderus antiquus3, "Tetramorium peritulum n. sp." = Lasius peritulus5, Aphaenogaster mayri3
"Euponera hendersoni" = Protazteca hendersoni5 Cockerell 1906 ant
BMNH In.26824, 26825, 26834 (Sternberg coll)
Protazteca elongata3 Carpenter 1930 ant
"Formica impacta n. sp." = Miomyrmex impactus5 Cockerell 1927 ant
BMNH In.26831 (Sternberg coll)
Liometopum miocenicum3 Carpenter 1930 ant
Dolichoderus rohweri3 Carpenter 1930 ant
"Dolichoderus (Hypoclinea) antiquus" = Dolichoderus antiquus3 Carpenter 1930 ant
"Tetramorium peritulum n. sp." = Lasius peritulus5 Cockerell 1927 ant
BMNH In.26833 (Sternberg coll)
Aphaenogaster mayri3 Carpenter 1930 ant
 Hymenoptera - Thynnidae
Geotiphia pachysoma n. sp.6
Geotiphia pachysoma n. sp.6 Cockerell 1927 wasp
BMNH In.26929
 Hymenoptera - Braconidae
Alysia phanerognatha n. sp.7, "Microdus miocenicus n. sp." = Bassus miocenicus5
Alysia phanerognatha n. sp.7 Cockerell 1927 wasp
BMNH In.26936
"Microdus miocenicus n. sp." = Bassus miocenicus5 Cockerell 1927 wasp
BMNH In.26934 (Sternberg coll 176B)
 Hymenoptera - Tenthredinidae
Dineura microsoma n. sp.6, Hoplocampa ilicis n. sp.6, Taeniurites fortis6, "Tenthredella fenestralis n. sp." = Tenthredo (Tenthredella) fenestralis6
Dineura microsoma n. sp.6 Cockerell 1927 wood wasp
BMNH In.26931( Sternberg 113B)
Hoplocampa ilicis n. sp.6 Cockerell 1927 wood wasp
BMNH In.26830
Taeniurites fortis6 Cockerell 1917 wood wasp
BMNH In. 26917 (Sternberg 50B)
"Tenthredella fenestralis n. sp." = Tenthredo (Tenthredella) fenestralis6 Cockerell 1927 wood wasp
BMNH In.26916
 Hymenoptera - Athaliidae
"Eriocampa wheeleri" = Athalia wheeleri6
"Eriocampa wheeleri" = Athalia wheeleri6 Cockerell 1906 wood wasp
BMNH In.26930 (Sternberg 116B)
 Trichoptera - Odontoceridae
? Phenacopsyche larvalis n. sp.6
? Phenacopsyche larvalis n. sp.6 Cockerell 1927 caddisfly
"many small, mostly fragmentary, larvae"
 Coleoptera - Cerambycidae
"Criocephalus pavitus n. sp." = Arhopalus pavitus7
"Criocephalus pavitus n. sp." = Arhopalus pavitus7 Cockerell 1927 longhorned beetle
BMNH In.26928 (Sternberg 105B)
 Coleoptera - Curculionidae
Hipporhinops sternbergi n. gen. n. sp.4
Hipporhinops sternbergi n. gen. n. sp.4 Cockerell 1926 snout beetle
BMNH In.26206 (Sternberg I.28)
 Coleoptera - Tenebrionidae
Tenebrionites alatus n. sp.7
Tenebrionites alatus n. sp.7 Cockerell 1927 darkling beetle
BMNH In.26918 (Sternberg 12B)
 Coleoptera - Buprestidae
Buprestis megistarche n. sp.4
Buprestis megistarche n. sp.4 Cockerell 1926 jewel beetle
BMNH In.26200 (Sternberg I.17-B)
 Coleoptera - Scarabaeidae
Phyllophaga disrupta n. sp.7
Phyllophaga disrupta n. sp.7 Cockerell 1927 scarab beetle
BMNH In.26932 (Sternberg 139B)
 Raphidioptera - Raphidiidae
"Raphidia funerata n. sp." = Florissantoraphidia funerata8
"Raphidia funerata n. sp." = Florissantoraphidia funerata8 Engel 2003 snakefly
BMNH In. 26922
 Neuroptera - Chrysopidae
Archaeochrysa sp.9, Archaeochrysa cockerelli n. sp.9
Archaeochrysa sp.9 Adams 1967 green lacewing
NHM.I.26921 (Palaeochrysa sp. in Meyer, 2003)
Archaeochrysa cockerelli n. sp.9 Makarkin et al. 2022 green lacewing
BMNH In.8417
1Antropov 2017; 2Bather 1909; 3Carpenter 1930; 4Cockerell 1926; 5Cockerell 1927; 6Cockerell 1927; 7Cockerell 1927; 8Engel 2003; 9Makarkin et al. 2022