F. M. Carpenter.
A Permian Megasecopteron from Texas.
Psyche 69(1):37-41, 1962.

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A PERMIAN MEGASECOPTERON FROhI TEXAS1
BY F. LI. CARPENTER
Harvard University
A coIlection of six Permian insects recently received from Dr.
Sergius H. Mamay, of the U. S. Geological Survey, includes an unusually interesting species belonging to the extinct order Megase- coptera. The other specimens are fragment? of cockroach wings) which) in the light of our present knowledge) cannot be satisfactorily placed in families and do, not warrant description. The megasecop-
teron) however! is sufficiently well preserved to enable family and generic diagnoses, It clearly belongs to the family Bardohymenidae, of the suborder Eun~egasecoptera.
Family Bardohymenidae
This family was based on Bardohymen magnipennifer Zal.! from a Permian outcrop along the Barda River, near Perm) Russia (Zalessky, 1937). Two other genera) Sylvohymen Martynov (Permian of Oklahoma and of Chekardaj Russia) and Calohymen (Permian of Oklahoma) have also been placed here (Carpenter, 1947). The family includes species which are related to Proto- hymenidae but which differ in lacking the coalescences of Rs and MA, and of MP and CuA.
Actinohymen, new genus
Related to Bardohymen, but having the cross-vein between RI and R2 very strong, thickened at the costal end) and situated well basad of the apex of the wing. PterostigmaI area thickened; Rs with three main branches,
Type-species : Actinlohymen ruueUi, n. sp. Actinohymen russelli, new species
Text-figures I and 2 ; plate I.
Length of wing) as preserved, 28 rnm; width, 8.5 mm; estimated complete wing length, 50 mm. Wing markings: ptet-ostigmal and IThis research has been aided by a grant from the National Science Foundation,
Manuscript received by the editor January 4, 1962.



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38 Psyche [March
apical region margined with dark pigment; isolated triangular spots at tnd of R4+ 5, hfA, and CuA. Eight outer cross-veins, forming a distinct row; CUP and IA forked distally. Other details of vena- tion are shown in text-figure I.
Holotype: No. 140898) Paleozoic Catalogue #29) U. S. National Pluseum, JVashington ; collected by Dr. S. H. &famay, in an outcrop on the Emily Irish land grant, about 18 miles south-southeast of Seymour, Baylor County, Texas. The fossil is very clearly preserved and consists of about the distal half of a wing; the proximal half was apparently broken away in the c0unterpa1-t, which is missing. Slight
distortion of the antei-ioi- margin) just basal of the pterostigma, results from a pronounced depression in the rock. Although incomplete, this is the best-preserved specimen of a bardohymenid which has yet been found.
Geological age : Lower Permian ; Belle Plains Formation (Wichita Group) ; this may be approximately correlated with the lower part of the Wellington Formation of Oklahoma 2nd Kansas. (See Dunkle
and Mamay, 1956; and Dunbai-) et. d., 1960). The species is named for Mr. 3lart Russell) of Seymour, Texas, in recognition of the cooperation, hospitality and interest shown to Dr. Text-figure 1. Drawing of Actinoi~ymen russelli, n. sp., based on holotype. C, costa (+) ; Sc) subcosta (-) ; R1, radius (+) ; Rs, radial sector (-1 ; R2, R3, R4+5, branches of radial sector (-) ; MA, anterior media ( +) ; MP, posterior media (-1 ; C!iiA1 anterior cubitus ( -t ) ; Cupl posterior cubitus (-) ; lA, first anal vein. The irregularities in the costal margin have been restored.
%lamay and his associates during their collecting trips at the Emily Irish deposit.
This remarkable fossil shows a number of interesting features, mostly specializations of the anterior marginal area of the wing, As in many Eumegasecoptesa, such as Prothymenidae and Basdohy-



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mtnidae, the subcosta and radius (RI ) are very close together and also to the anterior wing margin
(text-figure 2). The costa is
flattened .and wide for its entire length. In the region of the pterostipa the costa widens eve11 more and is sanewhat thickened) but at the distal end of the pte~*ostigna it disappears. The subcosta appears tu be flattened and to be contiguous with the costa and is not readily distinguished from the latter. The radius (RI ) is con- tiguous with the subcosta (in the preserved part of the fossil) 01. with the costa beyond the end of he subcosta, except in the wry distal part of the wing.
Beyond the short but distinct pterostigmal veinlet the radius seems to fork, the more distal branch leading to the veivy apex of the wing. The cross-vein at the basal part of the ptcrostigma fom~ a heavy bar, which is especially thick at its wstal end. The flattened costa, subcosta and even parts of RL bear several irregular rows of setal bases or sockets (text-figure 2)) as in some Text-figure 2. Pho~ograph of part of wing of ifctino/~ym~n ri~ssetl;, n, sp. (hohpe), showing proximity of C, Sc and Rl, and the origins of Rs and Ma%. hetd bases cm be seen along the cmta. Palaeodictyoptesa, e. g. Dumhrk It is curious that no setae are
preserved, especially since they are often visible on the wings of Dunbarix
The wing markings arc not unlike those of other species of 3Iegase- coptera, especially the Carboniferous Aspidothorax trimg.zcImis Brongn. (Cammentry, France). Eu~ttartynovia raaschi Carp. (Permian, Oklahoma), though not at a11 dosely related (i. e., belong- ing to the Paraniegasecoptera), has almost identical markings.



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CARPENTER, F. M.
1947. Lower Permian insects from Oklahoma. Part I. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci, 76: 25.G4.
DUNBAR, C, O., et d.
1960. Correlation of the Permian formations of North America, Bull. Geol. SOC. Amer., 71 : 1763-1806.
DUNKLE, D. H. and SERGIUS H. MAMAY
1956.
An
acanthodian fish from the Lower Permian of Texas. Journ. Wash. .\cad. Sciences, 46 (16) ~308-310. ZALESSKY, G.
1937.
Etudes des insectes permiens du bassin de la Sylva et problkmes de l'evolution dans la classe des insectes. Prob. Paleont., 2-3; 601-607.




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