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

Where: Bouches-Du-Rhone, 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 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

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

Collection methods: Repository: Institute Geologique de Montpellier, sent by M. Thoral

Primary reference: 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]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 138838: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 29.01.2013

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Insecta
 Diptera - Sciaridae
Sciara sp. Meigen 1803 dark-winged fungus gnat
MA 83
 Diptera - Mycetophilidae
Allodia cf. pallipes Heer 1856 fungus gnat
MA 56b
 Diptera - Bibionidae
Bibio sp., Bibio curtisi, "Bibio serresi" = Bibio curtisii, "Bibio cf. romani" = Bibio curtisii, "Bibio conformans" = Bibio celasensis, Bibio fusiformis, Bibio disjectus, Bibio spectabilis, "Plecia nervisinuata" = Penthetria nervisinuata, "Plecia cf. lugens" = Penthetria lugens, "Bibio morio" = Plecia morio, "Plecia morio" = Plecia morio, "Bibio detractus" = Plecia lygaeoides, "Plecia guinieri" = Plecia lygaeoides, "Plecia livida" = Plecia livida, "Plecia brevipennis" = Plecia livida, "Plecia constricta" = Plecia livida, "Bibio painvini" = Plecia painvini, "Plecia splendida" = Plecia foersteri, "Plecia bucklandi" = Plecia bucklandi, "Plecia dilatativentris" = Plecia bucklandi, "Plecia gracilis" = Plecia bucklandi, "Plecia elegans" = Plecia bucklandi
Bibio sp. Geoffroy 1762 march fly
MA 62
Bibio curtisi Heer 1856 march fly
MA 68, 81
"Bibio serresi" = Bibio curtisii Heer 1856 march fly
MA 64, 78
"Bibio cf. romani" = Bibio curtisii Heer 1856 march fly
MA 69
"Bibio conformans" = Bibio celasensis Theobald 1937 march fly
MA 66, 67
Bibio fusiformis Heer 1849 march fly
MA 65
Bibio disjectus Theobald 1937 march fly
MA 73
Bibio spectabilis Theobald 1937 march fly
MA 70, 71
"Plecia nervisinuata" = Penthetria nervisinuata Theobald 1937 march fly
MA 28
"Plecia cf. lugens" = Penthetria lugens Oustalet 1870 march fly
MA 45, 46
"Bibio morio" = Plecia morio Heer 1849 love bug
MA 63
"Plecia morio" = Plecia morio Heer 1849 love bug
MA 29
"Bibio detractus" = Plecia lygaeoides Heer 1849 love bug
MA 74
"Plecia guinieri" = Plecia lygaeoides Heer 1849 love bug
MA 37-44, 59
"Plecia livida" = Plecia livida Heer 1849 love bug
MA 52, 53
"Plecia brevipennis" = Plecia livida Heer 1849 love bug
MA 2, 4, 5
"Plecia constricta" = Plecia livida Heer 1849 love bug
MA 6, 7
"Bibio painvini" = Plecia painvini Meunier 1915 love bug
MA 72
"Plecia splendida" = Plecia foersteri Theobald 1937 love bug
MA 51
"Plecia bucklandi" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
MA 30-33, 47, 48, 54
"Plecia dilatativentris" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
MA 49
"Plecia gracilis" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
MA 34-36, 55
"Plecia elegans" = Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849 love bug
MA 50
 Diptera - Rhagionidae
Rhagio primaevus n. sp. Théobald 1937 snipe fly
MA 126
 Diptera - Bombyliidae
Praecytherea sardii n. gen. n. sp.
Praecytherea sardii n. gen. n. sp. Théobald 1937 bee fly
MA 125
 Diptera - Chironomidae
Chironomidae indet. Macquart 1838 non biting midge
MA 82, 84, 131
 Coleoptera - Curculionidae
"Hylobius morosus" = Curculionites morosus, "Cossonus marionii" = Cossonus marioni, Hipporhinus heeri
"Hylobius morosus" = Curculionites morosus Heer 1856 snout beetle
MA 104, 105
"Cossonus marionii" = Cossonus marioni Oustalet 1874 snout beetle
MA 97, 97a
Hipporhinus heeri Germar 1849 snout beetle
MA 76, 85-88, 92-96
 Coleoptera - Brentidae
Coeliodes primigenius Oustalet 1874 weevil
MA 98-101, 106
 Coleoptera - Chrysomelidae
Plagiodera lyelliana Heer 1856 leaf beetle
MA 89
 Lepidoptera - Lycaenidae
Aquisextana irenaei n. gen. n. sp.
Aquisextana irenaei n. gen. n. sp. Théobald 1937 gossamer-winged butterfly
MA 1
 Hymenoptera - Formicidae
"Erebomyrma thorali n. sp." = Carebara thorali
"Erebomyrma thorali n. sp." = Carebara thorali Théobald 1937 ant
MA 127
 Hemiptera - Aphididae
"Tetraneura provincialis n. sp." = Tetraneurites provincialis
"Tetraneura provincialis n. sp." = Tetraneurites provincialis Théobald 1937 aphid
MA 103
 Hemiptera - Aphrophoridae
Aphrophora coquandi Theobald 1937 froghopper
MA 102
 Hemiptera - Lygaeidae
Lygaeus obscurellus n. sp. Théobald 1937 milkweed bug
MA 124
 Hemiptera - Rhyparochromidae
Aphanus dilatatus Theobald 1937 seed bug
MA 114
Aphanus pulchellus Heer 1853 seed bug
MA 115-118