A Megasecopteron From Upper Carboniferous Strata in Spain

In 1962 Professor F. Stockmans, of the Institut Royal des SciencesNaturelles de Belgique, kindly sent me for study two insects fromUpper Carboniferous deposits in Northern Spain. One of these (no.94.837), from the Mine de Poleiro, is part of a cockroach tegmen,which cannot be placed with certainty even to family level. Theother specimen (no. 97.587), from shales near the village of Magdalena,is a nearly cornplete, well-preserved wing of a megasecopterousinsect. Since it shows interesting venational features and since thereseems little chance of obtaining additional insects from this deposit inthe near future, I have considered it advisable to publish a formaldescription of the fossil at this time. I am indebted to Dr. Stockmansnot only for his courtesy in loaning me these specimens but for providingme with information about the geology and stratigraphy of theformation concerned