Graciliblatta bella Liang et al., 2012

Taxonomy

Cockroach

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattaria Latreille 1810
Family: Raphidiomimidae Vishnyakova 1973
Genus: Graciliblatta
Species: Graciliblatta bella
Author Citation Liang et al. 2012

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Jurassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Middle
International Age: Callovian to Oxfordian

Stratigraphy

Jiulongshan Formation
Daohugou Bed

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 27 mm

Location

Daohugou Village
Ningcheng County
Inner Mongolia
China

• cockroach
• daohugou
• graciliblatta
• haifanggou formation
• inner mongolia
• jiulongshan formation
• tff-oilshale-ar2521

Comments

The age of the Daohugou strata has been notoriously difficult to determine, and a number of studies have produced conflicting results. 
Gao and Shubin reported an Argon-argon dating age of 164+- 4 million years ago (Middle to Late Jurassic, Bathonian to Oxfordian), this oppinion is now widely accepted.

Part and counterpart of the same fossil. There are additional unidentified conchostraca (clam shrimps, arthropods) on the slabs.

Drawing of the holotype by Liang et al. 2012

Taxonomy according Fossilworks.org.

Differential diagnosis (genus) according to Liang et al, 2012: "The new genus can be distinguished from other representatives of the family by the richly branched Sc. The new genus additionally differs from Liadoblattina Handlirsch, 1906 (Vršanský and Ansorge 2007) from Early Jurassic of Germany and England in having a larger body and reticulations present in the CuA-CuP area. Graciliblatta is also different from Raphidiomima and Cameloblatta in the elongated pronotum (the length-to-width ratio of the pronotum of the new genus is 1.5, those of Raphidiomima and Cameloblatta 1.2), and distinctive divided eyes located basally, which are undivided in the other genera, which originate from the Late Jurassic of Kazakhstan. The head and pronotum of Graciliblatta are extremely long and narrower than in Fortiblatta (Liang et al. 2009); vein R of the forewing is more arcuate and R1 has secondary branching not found in Fortiblatta, which is from the same locality and age as Graciliblatta. In addition, the body is smaller (length/width of head in the new genus is 2.25 vs. 1.9 in Fortiblatta; the pronotal length/width of the new genus is 1.5 vs. 1.2 in Fortiblatta). Coloration in the tip of wings is absent, but Graciliblatta has two dark stripes on pronotum, unlike Fortiblatta."

Description (species) according to Liang et al., 2012: "Head and pronotum elongated. Forewing long and narrow. Sc richly branched, with 7–8 branches; R not reaching the tip of margin, slightly curved and basally with dark coloration. CuA and CuP slightly curved. Anal veins with tertiary branches. Diagonal fold present. Hind wing with simple Sc; R1 and Rs differentiated, and R1 secondarily branched."

Prognathous and sharp mandibles of the species suggest it was a carnivore.

Identified by oilshale.

Reference: 

LIANG, J. H., HUANG, W. L. & REN, D. (2012) Graciliblatta bella gen. et sp. n. - A rare carnivorous cockroach (Insecta, Blattida, Raphidiomimidae) from the Middle Jurassic. Zootaxa 3449: 62–68.

LIANG, J. H., SHIH, C. K. & REN D. (2018). New Jurassic predatory cockroaches (Blattaria: Raphidiomimidae) from Daohugou, China and Karatau, Kazakhstan. Alcheringa 42:101-109.