Ordralfabetix
Encyclopedia
Ordralfabetix is an extinct genus
of planthopper
in the family Lophopidae and containing the single
species Ordralfabetix sirophatanis. The species is known only from the Early Eocene, Ypresian stage
Oise amber from the Quesnoy locality, Oise Department
, France.
in Northern France. The type specimen is currently preserved in the entomology department of the French Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
. Ordralfabetix was first studied by Jacek Szwedo of the Muséum with his 2011 type description for the genus and species being published in the journal Zootaxa
. The generic
name was coined by Szwedo in reference to the The Adventures of Asterix
character Ordralfabetix, the village fishmonger. The etymology
of the specific epithet
sirophatanis is a combination of two proto-celtic
word cores, "siro" which translates to "long" and "phatano" meaning "wing". This is a reference to the length of the fore wing
.
When Ordralfabetix sirophatanis was described, it was one of three hundred identified arthropod species that have been found in the Oise ambers. Of the three hundred arthropod species, seven planthopper families are represented: Achilidae, Dictyopharidae
, Lophopidae, Ricaniidae
, Nogodinidae, and Tropiduchidae plus another family which has not been formally described. O. sirophatanis was the second Lophopidae species to be described from the fossil record of Europe. The first species Baninus thuringiorum was described by Szwedo and Wappler in 2006 from specimens found in the Messel fossil site
.
, called a tegmen
, plus portions of the head and pronotum, the right clavus
and portions of the left hind-wing. The tip of the left fore-wing is still covered in a small amount of amber. The fore-wing has a total length of 17.9 millimetre (0.704724409448819 in) and at its widest it is 5.3 millimetre (0.208661417322835 in). Shorter then the fore-wing, the hind wing has an estimated length of 10.29 millimetre (0.40511811023622 in) while the width is not known. Similar to members of the Sarebasa+ group of genera in Lophopidae, such as Serida and Pyrilla, Ordralfabetix is separated from the other genera by the several characters. The distinct shape of the shallowly concave fore-wing with an elongated postclaval margin, called the tornus, and a rounded wing tip. The venation of the wing tip has distinct oblique subapical line of veinlets. The narrow costal area of the wing has veinlets running almost the entire length, excluding the base region, and is longer then the clavus.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of planthopper
Planthopper
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and from the fact that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However,...
in the family Lophopidae and containing the single
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
species Ordralfabetix sirophatanis. The species is known only from the Early Eocene, Ypresian stage
Ypresian
In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age or lowest stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between and , is preceded by the Thanetian age and is followed by the Eocene Lutetian age....
Oise amber from the Quesnoy locality, Oise Department
Oise
Oise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, France.
History and classification
Ordralfabetix sirophatanis is known only from one fossil, the holotype, number "PA. 2378". It is a single partial adult preserved as an impression on the surface of a clear orange amber specimen. The fossil was recovered from an outcrop of Oise amber which was discovered in 1997 at Quesnoy, near the Oise RiverOise River
The River Oise is a right tributary of the River Seine, flowing for 302 km in Belgium and France. Its source is in the Belgian province Hainaut, south of the town Chimay. It crosses the border with France after about 20 km. It flows into the Seine in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, near Paris...
in Northern France. The type specimen is currently preserved in the entomology department of the French Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
. Ordralfabetix was first studied by Jacek Szwedo of the Muséum with his 2011 type description for the genus and species being published in the journal Zootaxa
Zootaxa
Zootaxa is a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press . The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week...
. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name was coined by Szwedo in reference to the The Adventures of Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
character Ordralfabetix, the village fishmonger. The etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the specific epithet
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
sirophatanis is a combination of two proto-celtic
Proto-Celtic language
The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the reconstructed ancestor language of all the known Celtic languages. Its lexis can be confidently reconstructed on the basis of the comparative method of historical linguistics...
word cores, "siro" which translates to "long" and "phatano" meaning "wing". This is a reference to the length of the fore wing
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
.
When Ordralfabetix sirophatanis was described, it was one of three hundred identified arthropod species that have been found in the Oise ambers. Of the three hundred arthropod species, seven planthopper families are represented: Achilidae, Dictyopharidae
Dictyopharidae
Dictyopharidae is a family of bugs in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha belonging to the infraorder Fulgoromorpha. The family comprises nearly 760 species in more than 150 genera.-Classification:...
, Lophopidae, Ricaniidae
Ricaniidae
The family Ricaniidae is a group of hemipteran insects, containing over 40 genera and 400 species world-wide. Thus, they are one of the smaller families in the planthopper superfamily...
, Nogodinidae, and Tropiduchidae plus another family which has not been formally described. O. sirophatanis was the second Lophopidae species to be described from the fossil record of Europe. The first species Baninus thuringiorum was described by Szwedo and Wappler in 2006 from specimens found in the Messel fossil site
Messel pit
The Messel Pit is a disused quarry near the village of Messel, about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of fossils, it has significant geological and scientific importance...
.
Description
The O. sirophatanis type specimen is a well preserved almost complete adult left fore-wingInsect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
, called a tegmen
Tegmen
A tegmen designates the modified leathery front wing on an insect particularly in the orders Dermaptera , Orthoptera , Mantodea , Phasmatodea and Blattodea .-The nature of tegmina:The term tegmen refers to a miscellaneous and arbitrary group of organs...
, plus portions of the head and pronotum, the right clavus
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
and portions of the left hind-wing. The tip of the left fore-wing is still covered in a small amount of amber. The fore-wing has a total length of 17.9 millimetre (0.704724409448819 in) and at its widest it is 5.3 millimetre (0.208661417322835 in). Shorter then the fore-wing, the hind wing has an estimated length of 10.29 millimetre (0.40511811023622 in) while the width is not known. Similar to members of the Sarebasa+ group of genera in Lophopidae, such as Serida and Pyrilla, Ordralfabetix is separated from the other genera by the several characters. The distinct shape of the shallowly concave fore-wing with an elongated postclaval margin, called the tornus, and a rounded wing tip. The venation of the wing tip has distinct oblique subapical line of veinlets. The narrow costal area of the wing has veinlets running almost the entire length, excluding the base region, and is longer then the clavus.