Aix-en-Provence (Inst. Geol. Lyon) (Oligocene of France)

Where: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 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 monotony 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

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 122488: 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
 Coleoptera - Carabidae
Harpalus nero n. sp.3
Harpalus nero n. sp.3 Oustalet 1874 ground beetle
Musee Lyon no. 42; A 44 "Melolotha" in M. de Serres in Theobald, 1937
 Coleoptera - Chrysomelidae
"Chrysomela lyelliana" = Plagiodera lyelliana
"Chrysomela lyelliana" = Plagiodera lyelliana Heer 1856 leaf beetle
A 47 Cassida in M. de Serres
 Coleoptera - Curculionidae
Curculionites parvulus3 Heer 1856 snout beetle
"Sibynes melancholicus n. sp." = Sibinia melancholicus3 Oustalet 1874 snout beetle
Erirhinus chantrei n. sp.3 Oustalet 1874 snout beetle
Tanysphyrus deletus n. sp.3 Oustalet 1874 snout beetle
Hipporhinus heeri Germar 1849 snout beetle
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 2, 53, 3, 4, 52, 55
Hipporhinus heerii3 Germar 1849 snout beetle
"Brachyderes longipes" = Protainophthalmus asperulus Heer 1856 snout beetle
A 51 Meleus in M. de Serres
 Coleoptera - Staphylinidae
Hygronoma deleta n. sp.3 Oustalet 1874 rove beetle
Musee Lyon no. 31
Quedius reynesii3 Oustalet 1874 rove beetle
Musee Lyon no. 17
Quedius lortetii n. sp.3 Oustalet 1874 rove beetle
Musee Lyon no. 8
 Trichoptera - Leptoceridae
Leptocerus exanimis n. sp. Theobald 1937 long-horned caddisfly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 1
 Hymenoptera - Braconidae
Rhysiopolis distinctus n. sp. Theobald 1937 wasp
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 65
Bassus filipalpis n. sp. Theobald 1937 wasp
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 33
 Hymenoptera - Ichneumonidae
? Pimpla anomalensis n. sp. Theobald 1937 ichneumon wasp
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 66 Anomalon in M. de Serres
 Hymenoptera - Formicidae
Formica sepulta Theobald 1937 ant
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 31
Formica serresi n. sp. Theobald 1937 ant
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 64
Camponotus penninervis n. sp. Theobald 1937 ant
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 63
Dolichoderus balticus Mayr 1868 ant
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 34
 Hemiptera - Berytidae
"Megalomerium serratum n. sp." = Metacanthus (Megalomerium) serratum
"Megalomerium serratum n. sp." = Metacanthus (Megalomerium) serratum Theobald 1937 stilt bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 59 in Ploiaria in Serres
 Hemiptera - Heterogastridae
Heterogaster pumilio Heer 1853 true bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 57
 Hemiptera - Rhyparochromidae
Aphanus pulchellus Heer 1853 seed bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 58
 Hemiptera - Cydnidae
Cydnopsis pygmaea2 Heer 1853 burrowing bug
Cydnus brevicollis Heer 1853 burrowing bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 60
"Cydnopsis heerii" = Cydnus heeri4 Oustalet 1874 burrowing bug
 Hemiptera - Pentatomidae
Palomena serresi n. sp.2 Meunier 1915 stink bug
cited as Pentatoma sp. in Serres, 1829
 Hemiptera - Coreidae
? Coreus serresi n. sp. Theobald 1937 leaf-footed bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 56
 Hemiptera - Cicadidae
"Cicada serresi n. sp." = Cicadatra serresi2
"Cicada serresi n. sp." = Cicadatra serresi2 Meunier 1915 cicada
 Orthoptera - Gryllidae
? Acheta sp. Fabricius 1775 field cricket
Possibly 4 different species In M. de Serres compared to 4 different species of modern crickets
 Orthoptera - Gryllotalpidae
? Gryllotalpa sp. Latreille 1802 mole cricket
In M. de Serres compared to G. gryllotalpa
 Orthoptera - Acrididae
Oedipoda saussurei Theobald 1937 short-horned grasshopper
In M. de Serres called Gryllus
cf. Locusta sp. Linnaeus 1758 band-winged grasshopper
In M. de Serres
 Orthoptera - Tridactylidae
? Tridactylus sp. Olivier 1789 pygmy mole cricket
In M. de Serres compared to T. variegatus
 Dermaptera - Forficulidae
Forficula sp. Linnaeus 1758 common earwig
In M. de Serres
 Diptera -
Agromyza serresi n. sp. Theobald 1937 fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 107 in Nemotelus in Serres
 Diptera - Chironomidae
Chironomidae indet. Macquart 1838 non biting midge
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 9-14, 1-4, 1-8, 111
Chironomus aquisextanus n. sp. Theobald 1937 non biting midge
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 11a, 103
Chironomus serresi Theobald 1937 non biting midge
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 110, 102
 Diptera - Bibionidae
Bibionidae indet., "Plecia nervisinuata n. sp." = Penthetria nervisinuata, "Plecia cf. lugens" = Penthetria lugens, "Bibio luteipennis n. sp." = Dilophus luteipennis, Bibio sp.5, "Bibio serresi" = Bibio curtisii, "Bibio romani n. sp." = Bibio curtisii, "Bibio conformans" = Bibio celasensis, Bibio curtisi, Bibio spectabilis n. sp., Bibio disjectus n. sp., "Plecia acutiventris" = Plecia lygaeoides, "Bibio detractus n. sp." = Plecia lygaeoides, "Plecia livida" = Plecia livida, "Plecia brevipennis" = Plecia livida, "Bibio painvini" = Plecia painvini, Plecia retracta n. sp., "Plecia gracilis" = Plecia bucklandi, "Plecia elegans" = Plecia bucklandi, "Plecia dilatativentris n. sp." = Plecia bucklandi, Plecia morio5, "Plecia splendida" = Plecia foersteri
Bibionidae indet. Fleming 1821 march fly
large number of indeterminable specimens
"Plecia nervisinuata n. sp." = Penthetria nervisinuata Theobald 1937 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 70, 76
"Plecia cf. lugens" = Penthetria lugens Oustalet 1870 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 94
"Bibio luteipennis n. sp." = Dilophus luteipennis Theobald 1937 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 16, 86
Bibio sp.5 Geoffroy 1762 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 91
"Bibio serresi" = Bibio curtisii Heer 1856 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 89 Hirtea in M. de Serres
"Bibio romani n. sp." = Bibio curtisii Heer 1856 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 100
"Bibio conformans" = Bibio celasensis Theobald 1937 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 19
Bibio curtisi Heer 1856 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 32, 37, 39, 83
Bibio spectabilis n. sp. Theobald 1937 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 36, 95
Bibio disjectus n. sp. Theobald 1937 march fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 88
"Plecia acutiventris" = Plecia lygaeoides Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 84
"Bibio detractus n. sp." = Plecia lygaeoides Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 21, 29
"Plecia livida" = Plecia livida Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 23, 27, 74, 75, 77, 92
"Plecia brevipennis" = Plecia livida Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 90
"Bibio painvini" = Plecia painvini Meunier 1915 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 28
Plecia retracta n. sp. Theobald 1937 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 80
"Plecia gracilis" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 69
"Plecia elegans" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 25, 24, 78, 79 , 81, 82
"Plecia dilatativentris n. sp." = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 72
Plecia morio5 Heer 1849 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 30, 85
"Plecia splendida" = Plecia foersteri Theobald 1937 love bug
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 93
 Diptera - Mycetophilidae
Tetragoneura sannoisiensis n. sp.1 Meunier 1914 fungus gnat
Allodia cf. pallipes Heer 1856 fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 106
Mycetophila confusa n. sp. Theobald 1937 fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 18
Phronia brevipennis n. sp. Theobald 1937 fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 109 Sciara in M. de Serres
 Diptera - Sciaridae
Sciara acuminata n. sp. Theobald 1937 dark-winged fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 8
Sciara inflata n. sp. Theobald 1937 dark-winged fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 7
Sciara cf. protogaea Heer 1856 dark-winged fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 33b
Sciara saportana n. sp. Theobald 1937 dark-winged fungus gnat
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 35
 Diptera - Xylophagidae
Bibio ungeri Heer 1849 fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 26, 38, 87 var. marginatus
 Diptera - Stratiomyidae
Oxycera sp. Meigen 1803 soldier fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 98 in Serres
 Diptera - Bombyliidae
Palaeogeron vetustus n. gen. n. sp.1, Exoprosopa romani n. sp.
Palaeogeron vetustus n. gen. n. sp.1 Meunier 1914 bee fly
Exoprosopa romani n. sp. Theobald 1937 bee fly
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 71
 Diptera - Dixidae
"Dixa hyalipennis n. sp." = Dixa tertiaria
"Dixa hyalipennis n. sp." = Dixa tertiaria Meunier 1915 meniscus midge
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 15
 Diptera - Culicidae
"Culicites depereti n. gen. n. sp." = Neoculicites depereti2
"Culicites depereti n. gen. n. sp." = Neoculicites depereti2 Meunier 1915 mosquito
 Diptera - Ceratopogonidae
Ceratopogon sp. Meigen 1803 biting midge
Inst. Geol. Lyon A 113