Nakridletia

Nakridletia
Nakridletia
Temporal range: 167–145 Ma
Middle Jurassic – Upper Jurassic
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Superorder: Endopterygota
Order: †Nakridletia
Peter Vršanský, Dong Ren & Chungkun Shih, 2010
Genera

Strashilidae

  • Strashila incredibilis

Vosilidae

  • Parazila saurica
  • Vosila sinensis

Nakridletia (from the Slavic: na kridle = "on wings" referring to the hypothesis that these insects probably lived on the wings of Pterosaurs) are an extinct Mesozoic order of holometabolous insects, comprising three genera and species (Strashila incredibilis, Vosila sinensis and Parazila saurica) in two families (Strashilidae and Vosilidae).[1] The proposed English vernacular name is paragliders. All known fossils stem from the Jurassic of Siberia and China.[1] The insects were wingless and had enlarged grasping hind legs, and were probably ectoparasites of pterosaurs. The character of the genital appendages suggests a close relationship with Mecoptera.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Peter Vršanský, Dong Ren & Chungkun Shih (2010). "Nakridletia ord.n. – enigmatic insect parasites support sociality and endothermy of pterosaurs". AMBA Projekty 8 (1): 1–16. 


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