| Abstrakt: |
Endophytic oviposition, the reproductive behavior of insects to insert eggs into dead or living plant tissue, and exophytic oviposition, the deposition of eggs on plants, are only rarely documented from the Pennsylvanian. In the present paper, ten oviposition types from the Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany (Osnabrück Formation, Middle Pennsylvanian, latest Moscovian, Asturian/Westphalian D) are described. The most abundant are large oviposition scars on sphenophyte stems, which probably housed single eggs. For these, we introduce Megaovoidus igen. nov., including the ichnospecies Megaovoidus piriformis igen. nov. et isp. nov. and M. compactus igen. nov. et isp. nov. A third ichnotaxon is Megaovoidus foveolatus igen. nov. et comb. nov., initially described as “Equisetites” foveolatus G.Roselt from the Late Triassic of Germany. A second new ichnogenus, Paleoincisurus igen. nov., is established for long and narrow slit-like ovipositional damages, which likely housed long rows of insect eggs. The very long scars of P. hellmundi igen. nov. et isp. nov. are associated with sphenophyte stems. For slit-like damages on Sphenopteris sp. cf. S crepini fronds, the ichnotaxon Paleoincisurus muelleri igen. nov. et isp. nov. is introduced. We also provide evidence for three ichnospecies on leaves of the pteridosperm Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri Paleoovoidus isp. cf. P. marginatus and two new types of oviposition damage (Paleoovoidus irregularis isp. nov. and P. parvus isp. nov.). Another oviposition damage, provisionally named “Ichnotaxon indet. A”, shows affinities to Paleoovoidus contactus, but is only fragmentarily documented. Finally, exophytic insect eggs, arranged in rows on an unidentified leaf, are described as Palaexovoidus lineatus isp. nov. Our study revealed a high abundance and diversity of endophytic oviposition concerning egg case morphology, oviposition patterns, and host plants of different habitats already in the Middle Pennsylvanian. As a result, a novel, different view on the early evolutionary history of reproductive strategies of late Paleozoic insects is indicated. Eventually, the establishment of an improved ichnotaxobase for oviposition traces according to the latest recommendations for modern ichnotaxonomy is another aim of our study. |
