Aim Producing a cladistic biogeographic analysis of trans-Pacific crane flies.Location Trans-Pacific area (Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Zealand Subantarctic islands and Southern South America).Methods Using SAMBA (Super Area-cladogram after resolving Multiple Biogeographical Ambiguities) method, the study examines the biogeographical relationships based on seven previously published phylogenies.Results The findings highlight complex biogeographical affinities, with notable connections between New Zealand, South America and the New Zealand Subantarctic islands. The study also addresses the limitations of traditional Gondwana reconstructions in explaining trans-Pacific biogeographical patterns, suggesting the need for alternative hypotheses.Main Conclusions There is a need for revised biogeographical models to better understand the historical distribution of crane flies and other taxa across the Pacific.

The Crato Formation in Brazil harbors over half of the world's known fossil diversity of Myrmeleontidae. However, many type specimens of taxa described from this formation were previously inaccessible. With the recent rediscovery of two Brazilian collections and the acquisition of several newly discovered, wellpreserved specimens, we have revised two controversial Myrmeleontidae genera: Diegopteryx MartinsNeto & Rodrigues and Blittersdorffia Martins-Neto & Vulcano. In this study, we describe two new species of Diegopteryx and one new species of Blittersdorffia. Additionally, Blittersdorffia pulcherrima has been reassigned to Diegopteryx and D. raptoria is synonymized with B. pulcherrima. We provide updated diagnoses for both genera and an identification key for the species. We also examine the implications of these new findings for understanding the evolutionary relationships of these genera within fossil Myrmeleontidae. (c) 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Eloeophila is a genus of Limoniidae (subfamily Limnophilinae) with 85 extant valid species. So far, only one fossil species has been described: Eloeophila moba Podenas, from Baltic amber (Eocene). Here we have described other species from Baltic amber: Eloeophila eocenica sp. n. We also found that Cladura maculata, an Eocene species described by Scudder in 1894, from Florissant, Colorado, USA, actually belongs to Eloeophila. This species was renamed Eloeophila scudderi nom. nov. With these changes, Eloeophila now has three fossil species.

An extinct genus and species of Diptera - Cretothereva antiqua - has recently been described from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil (Crato Formation). The fossil has been assigned to the family Therevidae and, according to its authors, would represent the oldest known member of the family of the entire Therevoid clade, with important implications for the evolutionary history of the group. A recent paper written by several Diptera experts challenges the systematic position of Cretothereva antiqua, but without a detailed assessment of the evidences. The evidence for the systematic position of this important fossil is reassessed. We argue that criticism of scientific hypotheses must be based on formal discussion of evidence, not based only on conjecture.

Eloeophila Rondani, 1856 and Idioptera Macquart, 1834 are two genera of the family Limoniidae (Diptera) distinguished by the presence of a supernumerary cross-vein m-cu. Although these genera were previously combined, there has been a lack of phylogenetic tests to investigate the evolutionary relationship between them. In this study, we conducted a cladistic analysis that indicates that Idioptera form a clade within Eloeophila, and therefore the two genera should be synonymized under Idioptera. Consequently, 87 species of Eloeophila are transferred to Idioptera.

This paper presents two newly discovered fossil wings belonging to the extinct species Araripechlorogomphus Bechly and Ueda, the type genus and species of the Cretaceous ‘libelluloid’ family Araripechlorogomphidae, previously known by incomplete hind wings from the same outcrop. Araripechlorogomphus muratai is of particular interest as it is the oldest-known member of the Chlorogomphoidea and its only known representative outside of the Oriental Region. These findings also support the hypothesis of a close relationship between Araripechlorogomphidae and Chlorogomphidae.

The genus Leptotarsus (Tipulomorpha: Tipulidae) is one of the oldest lineages of the family Tipulidae known from the Early Crataceous to the present. Most Leptotarsus fossils are from the Cretaceous period, and the Crato Formation of the Lower Cretaceous of NE Brazil is notable for bearing the greatest known Mesozoic diversity of the genus. This study describes twelve new species of the genus: Leptotarsus acciolii sp. nov., L. alemaoi sp. nov., L. bonifacioi sp. nov., L. capanemai sp. nov., L. coutoi sp. nov., L. feijoi sp. nov., L. ferreirai sp. nov., L. lagosi sp. nov., L. lemesi sp. nov., L. pereirai sp. nov., L. petrii sp. nov. and L. velosoi sp. nov. With the new taxa described herein, a total of 21 Leptotarsus species are now recorded from the Crato Formation. An updated identification key for all Cretaceous Leptotarsus species of the world is provided. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Araripegomphus ismari sp. nov., the fifth species of the genus Araripegomphus, and the fourth species of this genus in the Crato Formation (Brazil), is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved hind wing.

Cratoaeschnidium martinsnetoi gen. et sp. nov., third genus and species of the family Aeschnidiidae from the Crato Formation (Brazil), is described and illustrated based on one well-preserved forewing. It can be differentiated from the other genera in the family, inter alia, because its discoidal triangle is very narrow with only one row of cells; three rows of cells between Mspl and MAa, and between Rspl and IR2; one row of cells between CuAa and MP in basal part; three rows of cells between RP3/4 and MAa. This new genus and species confirms that much can be expected in regard to discovering the Odonata in the Crato Formation.

The fourth genus and species of the Cretaceous aeshnopteran family Liupanshaniidae discovered in the Aptian Crato Formation, is described and illustrated as Brasiliupanshania cretacica gen. et sp. nov. Its phylogenetic position within the Liupanshaniidae is investigated using parsimony analyses, and it was found nested within the Liupanshaniidae. The Gondwanan species of the family do not form a clade, but appears to be more closely related to various Laurasian clades, suggesting a very ancient Mesozoic diversification prior to Gondwana–Laurasia split.

Stick insects (Phasmatodea) are herbivorous, mostly nocturnal insects known for their camouflage specialization, constituting a moderately diverse group with around 3400 extant described species. The overall poor and often confusing fossil record of Phasmatodea, especially regarding older taxa, has muddled the knowledge of the early evolution of the lineage and hindered reliable calibration points for ordinal‐level phylogenies. The phylogenetic relationships within the order remain unresolved, but recent research sheds more light on the subject. Here we report on the oldest known fossil of Euphasmatodea, by revising the taxonomic identity of one fossil species ( Eoproscopia reliquum Mendes, Vasconcelos & Oliveira) previously described as a stick grasshopper (family Proscopiidae). Based on the finding of a more complete specimen the taxon is redescribed and a new genus, Araripephasma , is erected to accommodate this species in Euphasmatodea. Araripephasma reliquum comb. nov. is a remarkably modern‐looking stick insect species that provides a new minimum age for Euphasmatodea and sets a good and reliable calibration point for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. The implications of this rare finding for the evolutionary history of Phasmatodea are discussed.