La Robinière (La Garnache 1), Vendée amber (Cretaceous of France)

Also known as Vendean amber

Where: France (46.9° N, 1.9° W: paleocoordinates 36.5° N, 0.0° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Turonian (93.9 - 89.8 Ma)

• La Garnache consists of two lignitic clay series, Garnache 1 and Garnache 2, separated by a fault. The first series cropped out to the south of the fault during road works until 2002 but is now covered by an embankment. It has provided numerous pieces of amber containing arthropod and micro-organism inclusions. Palynological analysis of Garnache 1 revealed several Normapolles species belonging to the genera Atlantopollis, Complexiopollis, Osculapollis, Plicapollis and Trudopollis, but larger forms typical of Senonian deposits are absent. By contrast, Garnache 2 proved to be dominated taxonomically and numerically by spores (Appendicisporites, Camarozonosporites, Gleicheniidites, Patellasporites, Stereisporites), associated with a few gymnosperm (Cerebropollenites, Phyllocladidites, Classopollis) and angiosperm (Liliacidites, Retitricolpites and a single specimen of the Normapolles Complexiopollis) taxa. Garnache 1 is, therefore, younger than Garnache 2, the latter being clearly Cenomanian in age whereas Garnache 1 is more likely to be Turonian.

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; lithified amber

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: soft parts, original chitin, amber

Collection methods: Repository: Geological Institute and Museum of the University Rennes 1, Rennes, France

Primary reference: D. Penney. 2014. A fossil ray spider (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) in Cretaceous amber from Vendée, France. Paleontological Contributions 10:5-8 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 164386: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 01.12.2014

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Insecta
 Blattodea -
Termitotron vendeense n. gen. n. sp.4
Termitotron vendeense n. gen. n. sp.4 Engel 2014 termite
IGR.GAR-30
 Dermaptera -
Vendeenympha gravesi n. gen. n. sp.5
Vendeenympha gravesi n. gen. n. sp.5 Engel and Perrichot 2014 earwig
IGR.GAR-72.2
 Thysanoptera - Melanthripidae
Ankothrips dupeae n. sp.8 Nel et al. 2020 thrips
IGR.GAR.1
 Dicondylia -
Psocodea indet.1 Hennig 1966 bark louse
IGR.GAR-105, 3
 Psocodea - Archaeatropidae
Proprionoglaris axioperierga n. sp.1 Azar et al. 2014 bark louse
IGR.GAR-69, 39
Proprionoglaris cf. axioperierga1 Azar et al. 2014 bark louse
IGR.GAR-103
 Psocodea - Mesopsocidae
Mesopsocidae indet.1 Enderlein 1903 bark louse
IGR.GAR-81
Mesopsocoides dupei n. gen. n. sp.1 Azar et al. 2014 bark louse
IGR.GAR-46
 Psocodea -
Scocompus atelisus n. gen. n. sp.1
Scocompus atelisus n. gen. n. sp.1 Azar et al. 2014 book louse
IGR.GAR-40
 Hymenoptera - Serphitidae
Serphites fannyae n. sp.6 Engel and Perrichot 2014 wasp
IGR.GAR-26, 106b
 Hymenoptera - Pemphredonidae
Menopsila dupeae n. gen. n. sp.2
Menopsila dupeae n. gen. n. sp.2 Bennett et al. 2014 aphid wasp
IGR.GAR-50
 Neuroptera - Coniopterygidae
Garnaconis dupeorum n. gen. n. sp.10
Garnaconis dupeorum n. gen. n. sp.10 Perrichot and Nel 2014 dustywing
IGR.GAR-2
 Coleoptera - Staphylinidae
Hyperstenichnus vendeanus n. gen. n. sp.7
Hyperstenichnus vendeanus n. gen. n. sp.7 Jałoszyński and Perrichot 2017 antlike stone beetle
IGR.GAR-10
 Diptera - Ceratopogonidae
Leptoconops sp.3 Skuse 1889 biting midge
IGR.GAR-31
Leptoconops (Leptoconops) gravesi n. sp.3 Choufani et al. 2014 biting midge
IGR.GAR-72.1
Culicoides doyeni n. sp.3 Choufani et al. 2014 biting midge
IGR.GAR-127.2
 Diptera - Dolichopodidae
Microphorites magaliae n. sp.9 Perrichot and Engel 2014 long-legged fly
IGR.GAR-106a
Arachnida
 Araneae - Theridiosomatidae
? Baalzebub mesozoicum n. sp. Penney 2014 ray spider
IGR.GAR-91
 Acariformes - Nasutiacaridae
Nasutiacarus perplexus n. gen. n. sp.13
Nasutiacarus perplexus n. gen. n. sp.13 Sidorchuk and Lindquist 2015 mite
IGR.GAR-87.2
Malacostraca
 Tanaidacea - Alavatanaidae
Eurotanais seilacheri n. sp.11 Sánchez-García et al. 2016
IGR.GAR-61
 Isopoda -
Vacuotheca dupeorum n. gen. n. sp.12
Vacuotheca dupeorum n. gen. n. sp.12 Schädel et al. 2019 isopod