AZC 46 Supplement (2003)

Issue:

VOL NA

Keywords:

Caelifera, Santana Formation, Brazil, new genus, new species, Lower Cretaceous, fossil, Locustopsidae, Bouretidae, Araripelocustidae

Download PDF

Share this article:

Systematics of the Caelifera (Insecta, Orthopteroidea) from the Santana Formation, Araripe Basin (Lower Cretaceous, northeast Brazil), with a description of new genera and species

• Rafael Gioia MARTINS-NETO

Abstract:

This research presents the results of a taxonomic study of 35 specimens of fossil Caelifera from laminated limestone of the uppermost part of the Crato Member, lowest unit of the Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Araripe Basin, near Santana do Cariri and Nova Olinda municipalities (Ceará State, Northeast Brazil). The group is reviewed; two new genera: Cratolocustopsis n. gen., Locustrix n. gen., and nine new species are described: Cratocustopsis contumax n. sp., Zessinia petruleviciusi n. sp., Zessinia vikingi n. sp., Cratozeunerella godoii n. sp., Cratozeunerella nervosa n. sp., Cratozeunerella soaresi n. sp., Cratozeunerella titanella n. sp., Locustrix gallegoi n. sp., Locustrix audax n. sp. Cratolocustopsis cretacea n. comb., Cratolocustopsis araripensis n. comb. are transferrred from Locustopsis to Cratolocustopsis n. gen. Cratozeunerella nordestina MARTINS-NETO 1998, after supplementary material examined, is considered a junior synonym of Cratozeunerella neotropica MARTINS-NETO 1998. The present study increases the number of Caelifera represented in the Santana Formation, as well as in the whole South Hemisphere, to 21 species of seven genera. These are distributed in four families of grasshoppers, one of most complete and abundant assemblages of this group known of fossil record.