Near Spokane (Miocene of the United States)

Where: Washington (47.6° N, 117.4° W: paleocoordinates 48.4° N, 114.2° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Latah Formation, Langhian (16.0 - 13.8 Ma)

• Latah Formation overlies the Grande Ronde basalts (16-15.5 Ma; Barry et al., 2013), although younger parts of the Grande Ronde are absent at some localiies (Nash & Perkins, 2012). It underlies the Saddle Mountain basalts (c. 15 Ma and younger; Barry et al., 2013). Ash beds within the Latah Formation at White Bird, Idaho, are dated to 15.77 Ma (Mascall Tuff), 15.66 Ma (Bully Creek tuff), and an interpolated age of 14.3 Ma (Nash & Perkins, 2012).

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - small; lithified mudstone

• ''The area was a broad valley flanked by rolling hills and ridges, some of which rose 1,500 feet or more above the general level, with considerable streams coming down from the north or northwest. Then came the lava flow, which completely dammed the streams, throwing the water back into shallow lakes or ponds. . . .. The open bodies of water were teeming with microscopic diatomaceous life. Here and there pond weeds floated on the surface, and about the borders were patches of cattails, grasses and sedges." Knowlton, 1923

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: mold/impression

Collected by T.A. Bonser, C.O. Fernquist, E.E. Alexander in 1927; reposited in the MCZ

Primary reference: F. M. Carpenter, T. D. A. Cockerell, C.H. Kennedy, T. E. Snyder, and H. F. Wickham. 1931. Insects from the Miocene (Latah) of Washington. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 24:307-322 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 140652: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Jered Karr on 14.03.2013

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Insecta
 Blattodea - Stylotermitidae
"Stylotermes washingtonensis n. sp." = Parastylotermes washingtonensis
"Stylotermes washingtonensis n. sp." = Parastylotermes washingtonensis Snyder 1931 termite
MCZ 2943
 Hymenoptera - Apidae
Bombus proavus n. sp.
Bombus proavus n. sp. Cockerell 1931 bumble bee
MCZ 2940
 Hymenoptera - Formicidae
Formicidae indet.
Formicidae indet. Latreille 1802 ant
 Trichoptera - Limnephilidae
Miopsyche alexanderi n. gen. n. sp., Miopsyche martynovi n. sp.
Miopsyche alexanderi n. gen. n. sp. Carpenter 1931 caddisfly
MCZ 2949
Miopsyche martynovi n. sp. Carpenter 1931 caddisfly
MCZ 2950
 Trichoptera - Phryganeidae
Phryganea spokanensis n. sp.
Phryganea spokanensis n. sp. Carpenter 1931 large caddisfly
MCZ 2948
 Coleoptera - Dytiscidae
Dytiscus latahensis n. sp.
Dytiscus latahensis n. sp. Wickham 1931 predaceous diving beetle
MCZ 2947
 Odonata - Corduliidae
Miocordulia latipennis n. gen. n. sp.
Miocordulia latipennis n. gen. n. sp. Kennedy 1931 green-eyed skimmer
MCZ 2942