Danolestes moelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first lestoid (Zygoptera: Odonata) from the early Ypresian Fur Formation of Denmark shows faunistic affinity to South America

We describe Danolestes moelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first spreadwing damselfly (Odonata, Zygoptera, Lestoidea) known from the Danish earliest Eocene Fur Formation. The new taxon is placed in Lestoidea, and tentatively affiliated with Priscalestes and Promegalestes, two extinct genera known from Western Palearctic and South America respectively, highlighting the complex biogeographical affiliations of the Fur Formation biota. D. moelleri gen. et sp. nov. was preserved in a ‘striated concretion’ block from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) recovery phase. It is the second odonate and first zygopteran described from the PETM recovery phase of the Fur Formation.

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Journal
Zootaxa
Published
2025-12-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5739.1.5
Primary Topic
Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Danolestes moelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first lestoid (Zygoptera: Odonata) from the early Ypresian Fur Formation of Denmark shows faunistic affinity to South America

Kent Olsen, RENÉ L. SYLVESTERSEN, Jessica L. Ware, Thomas J. Simonsen et al.
Zootaxa
Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
article

Danolestes moelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first lestoid (Zygoptera: Odonata) from the early Ypresian Fur Formation of Denmark shows faunistic affinity to South America

Kent Olsen, RENÉ L. SYLVESTERSEN, Jessica L. Ware, Thomas J. Simonsen, S. BRUCE ARCHIBALD, JAN A. RASMUSSEN
article en

Abstract

We describe Danolestes moelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first spreadwing damselfly (Odonata, Zygoptera, Lestoidea) known from the Danish earliest Eocene Fur Formation. The new taxon is placed in Lestoidea, and tentatively affiliated with Priscalestes and Promegalestes, two extinct genera known from Western Palearctic and South America respectively, highlighting the complex biogeographical affiliations of the Fur Formation biota. D. moelleri gen. et sp. nov. was preserved in a ‘striated concretion’ block from the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) recovery phase. It is the second odonate and first zygopteran described from the PETM recovery phase of the Fur Formation.

ZootaxaVol. 5739(1)
Royal British Columbia Museum (CA), American Museum of Natural History (US), Science Museums (DK), Museum Salling (DK), Natural History Museum Aarhus (DK), National Museum of Denmark (DK)
15. Juni Fonden, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Simon Fraser University, Augustinus Fonden
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 28%
Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
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