New orthophlebiid mecopteran from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation, China

A new species of Orthophlebiidae, Orthophlebia lini Lian & Huang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation of Yan’an City, north China. The species is erected based on a specimen preserving both a forewing and a hindwing, and a paratype preserving only a hindwing. These specimens demonstrate variability in the relative lengths of Rs1+2 and Rs3+4 even within the same individual, confirming that previous taxonomic systems relying heavily on these features may be flawed. This new species represents the first mecopteran fossil species from the Yan’an Formation and increases our understanding of the species richness of Orthophlebiidae during the Jurassic.