Chresmodidae
Extinct family of insects
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chresmodidae is an extinct family of Mesozoic insects within the superorder Polyneoptera.[2][3][4]
| Chresmodidae Temporal range: [1] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil specimen of Chresmoda obscura from Germany, on display at Galerie de paléontologie et d'anatomie comparée in Paris | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Cohort: | Polyneoptera |
| Family: | Chresmodidae Haase 1890 |
Genera
- Chresmoda Late Jurassic-Cenomanian, Worldwide
- Jurachresmoda Zhang, Ren & Shih, 2008 Middle Jurassic, Jiulongshan Formation[5]
- Sinochresmoda Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008 Early Cretaceous, Yixian Formation[6]
Prochresmoda from the Triassic of Kyrgyzstan is not currently considered part of the group and is considered to be more closely related to Triassophasma and Palaeochresmoda.[7]
Their affinities within the Polyneoptera have long been considered uncertain.[8] Some authors have suggested that they represent a derived group of cockroaches.[9]
Description
Chresmodidae are large enigmatic insects with very long specialized legs, probably adapted for skating on the water surface, similar to extant water skaters. They can reach a size of about 17 centimetres (6.7 in).[10][11] and even 19 centimetres (7.5 in).[12]
These Polyneoptera of uncertain position have been considered aquatic, living on the water surface, probably predaceous on nektonic small animals.[13][14]
They lived during the Cretaceous of Brazil, China, Lebanon, Spain, United Kingdom, as well as in the Jurassic of Germany and China, from ~166.0 to 94.3 Ma.[1]