Aix-en-Provence (Inst. Geol. Montpellier coll): Chattian, France

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Insecta - Diptera - Chironomidae
Chironomidae indet. Macquart 1838
3 specimens
MA 82, 84, 131
Insecta - Diptera - Mycetophilidae
Allodia cf. pallipes (Heer 1856)
1 specimen
MA 56b
Insecta - Diptera - Sciaridae
Sciara sp. Meigen 1803
1 specimen
MA 83
Insecta - Diptera - Bibionidae
Plecia livida (Heer 1849)
2 specimens
MA 52, 53
Plecia constricta Theobald 1937
2 specimens
synonym of Plecia livida
MA 6, 7
Plecia brevipennis (Heer 1856)
3 specimens
synonym of Plecia livida
MA 2, 4, 5
Bibio morio Heer 1849
1 specimen
recombined as Plecia morio
MA 63
Plecia lygaeoides (Heer 1849)
1 specimen
MA 29
    = Plecia morio Heer 1849
Skartveit and Nel 2017
Bibio detractus Theobald 1937
1 specimen
synonym of Plecia lygaeoides
MA 74
Plecia guinieri Theobald 1937
9 specimens
synonym of Plecia lygaeoides
MA 37-44, 59
Bibio painvini Meunier 1915
1 specimen
nomen dubium belonging to Plecia
MA 72
Plecia splendida Theobald 1937
1 specimen
synonym of Plecia foersteri
MA 51
Plecia bucklandi (Heer 1849)
7 specimens
MA 30-33, 47, 48, 54
Plecia dilatativentris Theobald 1937
1 specimen
synonym of Plecia bucklandi
MA 49
Plecia elegans (Heer 1856)
1 specimen
synonym of Plecia bucklandi
MA 50
Plecia gracilis (Heer 1856)
4 specimens
synonym of Plecia bucklandi
MA 34-36, 55
Bibio sp. Geoffroy 1762
1 specimen
MA 62
Bibio spectabilis Theobald 1937
2 specimens
MA 70, 71
Bibio curtisi (Heer 1856)
2 specimens
original and current combination Bibio curtisii
MA 68, 81
Bibio fusiformis Heer 1849
1 specimen
MA 65
Bibio serresi Theobald 1937
2 specimens
synonym of Bibio curtisii
MA 64, 78
Bibio cf. romani Theobald 1937
1 specimen
synonym of Bibio curtisii
MA 69
Bibio conformans Theobald 1937
2 specimens
synonym of Bibio celasensis
MA 66, 67
Bibio disjectus Theobald 1937
1 specimen
nomen dubium belonging to Bibio
MA 73
Plecia nervisinuata Theobald 1937
1 specimen
recombined as Penthetria nervisinuata
MA 28
Plecia cf. lugens (Oustalet 1870)
2 specimens
recombined as Penthetria lugens
MA 45, 46
Insecta - Diptera - Bombyliidae
Praecytherea sardii n. gen., n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 125 (2 measurements)
Insecta - Diptera - Rhagionidae
Rhagio primaevus n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 126 (1 measurement)
Insecta - Hemiptera - Rhyparochromidae
Aphanus dilatatus Theobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 114
Aphanus pulchellus (Heer 1853)
4 specimens
MA 115-118
Insecta - Hemiptera - Lygaeidae
Lygaeus obscurellus n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 124 (1 measurement)
Insecta - Hemiptera - Aphrophoridae
Aphrophora coquandi Theobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 102
Insecta - Hemiptera - Aphididae
Tetraneura provincialis n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
recombined as Tetraneurites provincialis
MA 103 (2 measurements)
Insecta - Hymenoptera - Formicidae
Erebomyrma thorali n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
recombined as Carebara thorali
MA 127 (2 measurements)
Insecta - Coleoptera - Curculionidae
Hipporhinus heeri (Germar 1849)
10 specimens
nomen dubium belonging to Entimini
MA 76, 85-88, 92-96
Cossonus marionii Oustalet 1874
2 specimens
nomen dubium belonging to Curculionites
MA 97, 97a
Hylobius morosus (Heer 1856)
2 specimens
original and current combination Curculionites morosus
MA 104, 105
Insecta - Coleoptera - Brentidae
Coeliodes primigenius Oustalet 1874
5 specimens
nomen dubium belonging to Apionidae
MA 98-101, 106
Insecta - Coleoptera - Chrysomelidae
Plagiodera lyelliana (Heer 1856)
1 specimen
MA 89
Insecta - Lepidoptera - Lycaenidae
Aquisextana irenaei n. gen., n. sp. Théobald 1937
1 specimen
MA 1 (2 measurements)
see common names

Geography
Country:France State/province:Bouches-Du-Rhone
Coordinates: 43.5° North, 5.5° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:43.3° North, 2.8° East
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period:Paleogene Epoch:Oligocene
Stage:Chattian 10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 4
Key time interval:Chattian
Age range of interval:27.82000 - 23.03000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Niveau du gypse d'Aix
Stratigraphy comments: "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
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:planar lamination lithified "limestone"
Lithology description: The deposit presents an alternation of limestone and marls with gypsum.
Environment:lacustrine - large Tectonic setting:rift
Geology comments: 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.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:mold/impression,adpression
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collection method comments: Repository: Institute Geologique de Montpellier, sent by M. Thoral
Metadata
Database number:138838
Authorizer:M. Clapham Enterer:M. Clapham
Modifier:M. Clapham Research group:paleoentomology
Created:2013-01-29 13:57:30 Last modified:2014-08-24 11:08:50
Access level:the public Released:2013-01-29 13:57:30
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
44519. N. Théobald. 1937. Notes complémentaire sur les insectes fossiles oligocènes des gypses d'Aix-en-Provence. Bulletin Mensuel de la Société des Sciences de Nancy (N. S. 5) 6:157-178 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]

Secondary references:

61455 J. Skartveit and A. Nel. 2017. Revision of fossil Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) from French Oligocene deposits. Zootaxa 4225:1-83 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]