Lower Cenomanian paralic facies outcrop widely on Aix Island (Charente-Maritime, France). Since the beginning of the 19th century, there has been repeatedGEODIVERSITAS 2009 31 (1) mentions of abundant fossil wood and amber from this locality, with particular focus on the wood when amber remained poorly studied. New investigations beginning 8 years ago have led to the discovery of additional fossil material, including vertebrate remains and the first fossil amber inclusions. This paper provides a sedimentological, stratigraphical and palaeontological description of the local Lower Cenomanian section, and the fossil assemblages are discussed in a wider palaeoenvironmental context.

The first geophilomorph centipede to be documented from Mesozoic amber and the second Mesozoic member of the order is described as Buziniphilus antiquus n. gen., n. sp. It is represented by a single, probably immature specimen from Early Cenomanian amber at La Buzinie, Champniers, Charentes, France. Buziniphilus n. gen. is most probably a member of either Schendylidae or Geophilidae, though documentation of the labrum and mandibles is required to make a definitive familial assignment. Referral of Buziniphilus n. gen. to the crown-group Adesmata, together with a reinterpretation of the structure of the forcipulae in the Jurassic Eogeophilus Schweigen & Dietl, 1997, reinforces the modern aspect of Mesozoic chilopods that had been indicated by Cretaceous scutigeromorph and scolopendromorph fossils.

Judson M. L. I. & Mąąkol J. 2009. — A mite of the family Tanaupodidae (Arachnida, Acari, Parasitengona) from the Lower Cretaceous of France. Geodiversitas 31 (1) : 41-47.

Atanaupodus bakeri n. gen., n. sp. is described from a postlarval specimen in amber from Archingeay, France (Albian, Lower Cretaceous). This mite is placed in the Tanaupodidae Thor, 1935 because of its general similarity to the extant genus Tanaupodus Haller, 1882, but this assignment is provisional because several important characters cannot be observed in the single available fossil. Extant Tanaupodus species are associated with freshwater habitats in Europe, which concord with the high frequency of aquatic taxa observed in Archingeay amber. This is the first fossil record of Tanaupodidae and the oldest described representative of the Parasitengona in amber. The use of the “Lassenia organ” in phylogenetic analyses of Parasitengona is criticized because its presence is symplesiomorphic within this group.

The first known fossil mecysmaucheniid spider, Archaemecys arcantiensis n. gen., n. sp., is described, from Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian) amber of Charente-Maritime, France. This is the first fossil spider to be formally described from French Cretaceous amber and extends the geological record of Mecysmaucheniidae back into the Cretaceous, the family having previously been known only from the Recent. The fossil differs from other Mecysmaucheniidae in having four, rather than two spinnerets, so it can be considered plesiomorphic with respect to modern members of the family in this character. The amber of the Archingeay-Les Nouillers area is uniquely considered to have a largely preserved litter fauna and our specimen corroborates this hypothesis. Archaeidae, and now their sister group the Mecysmaucheniidae, have been found as fossils solely in the northern hemisphere, yet their Recent distributions are entirely southern hemisphere (Gondwanan). The find suggests a former pancontinental distribution of Mecysmaucheniidae.

Three pseudoscorpion fossils are reported from the Lower Cretaceous (uppermost Albian) amber of Archingeay (Charente-Maritime, France). These are the oldest described members of the Cheliferoidea Risso, 1826 and the first fossil pseudoscorpions to be described from France. Heurtaultia rossiorum n. gen., n. sp. is described from two incomplete adults. The new genus is characterized by having gaping chelal fingers, elongate tarsal setae on leg I (probably sexually dimorphic characters limited to male) and the basal position of the tactile seta on the tarsus of legs III and IV. The systematic position of Heurtaultia n. gen is uncertain, but it is provisionally assigned to the extant family Cheliferidae Risso, 1826. The third fossil is complete and probably represents a tritonymph of a different species of Cheliferidae, but it is not named. This specimen is partly enclosed in a layer of silk, which is interpreted as a moulting nest.

The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the taxonomic composition and diversity of the richest fossil cockroach assemblage from Mesozoic amber and to compare them with those of the Mesozoic sedimentary record. The studied assemblage originated from the Late Albian (Early Cretaceous) deposit of Archingeay-Les Nouillers in southwestern France. Phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron imaging, a technique recently developed for analysing amber inclusions, is used here for the first time to reconstruct very detailed views of two cockroach specimens fossilised in a piece of opaque amber. The Blattulidae Vishniakova, 1982, here represented by Batola nikolai n. gen., n. sp. and Globula lake n. gen., n. sp. were, analogically as in sedimentary record, dominant; Liberiblattinidae Vršanský, 2002, represented by Leptolythica vincenti n. gen., n. sp.; and Mesoblattinidae Handlirsch, 1906, represented by Sivis odpo n. gen., n. sp. were subdominant; the new family Eadiidae n. fam., with Eadia aidae n. gen., n. sp. occurs only in the present and Myanmar ambers; and a new, here not described family is yet only indigenous to this locality. Caloblattinidae Vršanský & Ansorge, 2000 are rare apparently due to their large size and thus low resin-burial potential, in spite of their fairly common occurrence in the Late Mesozoic assemblages of rock fossil. The present assemblage considerably differs from the standard conservative worldwide Early Cretaceous assemblages of imprint fossils. In spite of alternative taxonomic composition at generic level, however, and due to the particular burial conditions in amber, this association is of a comparable, rather low, specific diversity.

Until now, fossil weevils of the family Belidae were unknown from fossil resin deposits. In this article, Gratshevbelus erici n. gen., n. sp. is described a from the Lower Cretaceous (uppermost Albian) amber deposits of southwestern France. Recent members of this family are present only in the southern hemisphere, therefore this new finding in northern deposits helps to better understand the first stages of the radiation of this group during the Late Mesozoic.

Szwedo J. 2009. — First discovery of Neazoniidae (Insecta, Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) in the Early Cretaceous amber of Archingeay, SW France. Geodiversitas 31 (1) : 105-116.

The extinct genus and species of planthopper family Neazoniidae, Akmazeina santonorum n. gen., n. sp., are described. This is the first record of the family in the Lower Cretaceous French amber of Archingeay. The new genus differs from Neazonia Szwedo, 2007 in subtriangular vertex, wider trigons; sensory pits only in upper portion of frons, fused submedian carinae, diverging only in upper portion of frons, slightly elevated disc of pronotum, delimited by semicircular carinae, hind tibia with distinct, knee lateral tooth. The phylogenetic relationships of Neazoniidae and some other planthoppers families as well as their ecological affinities are discussed.

Arcantipsocus courvillei n. gen., n. sp. is described from the Cretaceous amber of Archingeay (France). It is placed within the suborder Psocomorpha, and in the Mesozoic extinct family Arcantipsocidae n. fam. characterized by 14-segmented antenna; legs with tarsi 3-segmented; forewing setose with evanescent veins; pterostigma dark, thickened and setose; M 2-branched; areola postica free; nodulus present; hind wing with M bifurcated, without basi-radial cell; claws with a preapical tooth. A cladistic phylogeny for Psocomorpha is given including the new fossil taxon. The discovery of this new taxon demonstrates the necessity of a deep phylogenetic redefinition of the currently admitted major subdivisions of this suborder.

The first earwigs in Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) amber from southwestern France are described and figured. The amber piece in question, ARC-240, contains a complete earwig nymph as well as three partial nymphs preserved in a single piece of fossiliferous resin from Archingeay (Charente-Maritime, France). The morphology of the nymphs is discussed in relation to their possible taxonomic placement as well as their developmental stage. The preservation of so many nymphs in a single piece is curious and comments about the gregarious nature of modern earwigs in relation to the fossil are provided.

A new wasp of uncertain affinities within the family Diapriidae is described after a single specimen preserved in mid-Cretaceous (Early Cenomanian) amber from France. The possible relationships of the new fossil within the family and related groups are discussed. The fossil was studied using phase contrast X-ray synchrotron imaging, a powerful tool recently used in palaeontology studies. Several other organisms (arthropods, plants remains and microorganisms as well) were also found in the same piece of amber, notably aquatic organisms, which supply informations on the habitat of this specimen.

Mid-Cretaceous ambers from Aix Island and Cadeuil (Charente-Maritime, southwestern France) have preserved a rich microorganism assemblage of cyanobacteria, testate amoebae, and algae. The assemblage contains the first fossil record of the modern green algae genus Enallax Pascher, 1943 (Chlorococcales, Scenedesmaceae) and a new species, Enallax napoleoni n. sp., is described. This discovery pushes back the origin of the genus Enallax to the Cretaceous. Enallax napoleoni n. sp. probably grew in freshwater ponds of the mid-Cretaceous amber forests of southwestern France under a warm climate, associated with the cyanobacterium Palaeocolteronema cenomanensis Breton & Tostain, 2005.

The investigation of microorganisms preserved in amber from Charente-Maritime (southwestern France) provides new insights into the mid-Cretaceous amber forest ecology. Amber from the localities of Archingeay-Les Nouillers and Cadeuil is unique due to the plethora of microinclusions and macroinclusions as well as the preservation of litter organisms. Soil microorganisms such as actinomycetes, sheathed prokaryotes, carnivorous fungi (Ascomycota), algae, testate amoebae and nematodes indicate that the resin solidified in terrestrial or limnetic-terrestrial microhabitats on the forest floor. Furthermore, arboreal and even marine microorganisms are preserved in the amber. This micro-assemblage suggests that the amber forest was located close to the sea shore or was at least temporarily under marine influence.

Thermal properties of French Cretaceous ambers were investigated and compared with other ambers from various sites of the world. The amber samples came from 10 different localities in southern France, in the Charentes, Languedoc, and Provence regions, ranging from Late Albian to Santonian in age. Thermogravimetric (TG) and Differential Thermogravimetric (DTG) profiles were obtained at heating rate of 10 K/min in air, starting from room temperature (20°C) and reaching a maximum temperature of 700°C. Elemental Analysis for total Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Sulphur was also carried out. The TG combustion profile of the resins started after 200°C and complete combustion took place near 600°C. The DTG behaviour is characterized by a main exothermal peak situated between 394 and 420°C, accompanied by minor peaks and shoulders. The increasing value of the main exothermal peak correlates well to the increase of the age of the specimens, with a significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.7721, p = 0.0089). A significant correlation (r = 0.6728, p = 0.0004) is also found with other samples of different age and origin. By considering the whole pattern of DTG peaks, a possible fingerprinting model of the French ambers is evaluated by multivariate analysis. Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis show the presence of several clusters, according to the geological age and possibly to the palaeobotanical origin. The elemental analysis is consistent with that of other Cretaceous samples from different sites of the world. Carbon and hydrogen are the main constituents (range 73–80% and 9.5–11.5% respectively). Sulphur is detected in small amounts (0.8–2.4%). Nitrogen is absent or appears as traces only (0–0.008%). Oxygen and other elements range from 4.6 to 16.8%. No successful clustering was possible according to the elemental composition. Thermal analysis, completed with multivariate statistics, is a useful source of information also for French ambers, as a help for identification of the age, diagenetic processes and palaeobotanical origin.