Satovcha Graben (Miocene of Bulgaria)

Where: Bulgaria (41.6° N, 24.0° E: paleocoordinates 41.0° N, 23.4° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Sivik Formation, Middle Miocene (16.0 - 11.6 Ma)

• Vatsev and Pirumova (1983) identified the Sivik Formation as Middle-Late Miocene based on the diatomaceous floral composition of the sediments. Vatsev (1999) gave the age of the Sivik formation as Middle Miocene. Ognjanova-Rumenova (2003) determined the age of the top layers of the Sivik Formation through analysis of the diatom assemblages as late Miocene. Based on the total content of the macroflora from all the layers of this formation, Bozukov (2002) determined the age as Middle Miocene; this date was also confirmed by pollen analysis and is adopted here (Ivanov, 2004, 2012, 2013). Since the fossil insects were not from the upper part of the Sivik Formation, their age should be considered as Middle Miocene.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified, diatomaceous claystone

• According to the analyses of the diatomaceous flora, the site corresponds to a large, deep, eutrophic freshwater palaeolake (Vatsev and Pirumova,1983; Vatsev, 1999).

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: adpression

Collected by D. Jordanoff, P. Hadjiev, E. Plamarev in 1958-1967

• Repository: Division of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Primary reference: A. Nel, N. Simov, V. Bozukov and M. Marinov. 2016. New dragonflies and damselflies from Middle Miocene deposits in SW Bulgaria (Insecta: Odonata). Palaeontologia Electronica 19(3.35A):1-13 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 181730: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 29.09.2016

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Insecta
 Odonata - Aeshnidae
Oligaeschna bulgariensis n. sp. Nel et al. 2016 darner dragonfly
IBER CaT-1190, CaT-55
 Odonata - Sieblosiidae
Stenolestes rhodopensis n. sp. Nel et al. 2016 damselfly
IBER CaT-50, CaT-119
 Odonata - Dysagrionidae
Primorilestes magnificus n. sp. Nel et al. 2016 damselfly
IBER CaT-52/53, CaT-54
 Coleoptera - Buprestidae
Dicercini indet.2 Gistel 1848 jewel beetle
IBER-BAS Cat-III-2151
 Diptera - Bibionidae
Plecia sp.1 Wiedemann 1823 love bug
IBER-BAS Cat-D-1a, D-2a, D-58a, D-69b, D-71b, D-73a, D-74a, D-75a