Umenocoleidae is an extinct family of

dictyoptera Dictyoptera (from Greek δίκτυον ''diktyon'' "net" and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing") is an insect superorder that includes two extant orders of polyneopterous insects: the order Blattodea (termites and cockroaches together) and the or ...

n insects known from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

. They are considered to be closely related to the

Alienopteridae Alienopteridae is an extinct family of dictyopterans, known from the Early Cretaceous to the Eocene epoch. They are noted for their unusual combination of features not found in other dictyopterans. Description Alienopterid nymphs vary in mor ...

. They were originally considered to be beetles due to their beetle-like morphology, with sclerotised

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

-like forewings. This was probably an adaptation for living under bark and in other tight spaces.

Systematics

After * †'' Umenocoleus'' Chen and Tan 1973 Dalazi Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (

Aptian The Aptian is an age (geology), age in the geologic timescale or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), S ...

) Zhonggou Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (

Albian The Albian is both an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch/s ...

), Jinju Formation, South Korea, Early Cretaceous (Albian) * †'' Ponopterix'' Vršanský and Grimaldi 1999

Crato Formation The Crato Formation is a geologic formation (stratigraphy), formation of Early Cretaceous (Aptian) age in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. It is an important Lagerstätten, Lagerstätte (undisturbed fossil accumulation) for palaeontology, pa ...

, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) * †'' Blattapterix'' Vršanský 2003

Xiagou Formation The Xiagou Formation is the middle strata of the Xinminbao Group. It is named for its type site in Xiagou, in the Changma Basin of Gansu Province, northwestern China and is considered Early Cretaceous in age. It is known outside the specialized ...

, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) * †'' Elytropterix'' Vršanský 2003 Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia, Aptian * †'' Petropterix'' Vršanský 2003 Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia,

Zaza Formation The Zaza Formation is a geological formation located in Buryatia (Russia). It dates to the Lower Cretaceous. The age of the formation is disputed, and is considered likely to be Valanginian-Hauterivian, or Aptian in age. It comprises sandstones, ...

, Russia, Kitadani Formation, Japan, Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Zhonggou Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Albian), Jinju Formation, South Korea, Early Cretaceous (Albian) * †'' Compunctiotypus'' Kaddumi 2005 Jordanian amber, Early Cretaceous (Albian) * †'' Umenopterix'' Lee 2016 Crato Formation, Brazil, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. Th ...

, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

) * †'' Alienopterix'' Mlynský, Vršanský et Wang, 2018 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †'' Enervipraeala'' Luo, Xu et Jarzembowski, 2021 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †'' Laticephalana'' Luo, Beutel, Xu et Jarzembowski, 2021 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †'' Archaeospinapteryx'' Sendi et al. 2023 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †'' Trapezionotum'' Sendi et al. 2023 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †'' Poikiloprosopon'' Sendi et al. 2023 Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) * †?'' Vzrkadlenie'' Burmese amber, Myanmar, mid Cretaceous (latest Albian-earliest Cenomanian) (Also placed in Alienopteridae or Cratovitismidae) * †'' Nigropterix'' Sendi et al. 2023 Kzyl-Zhar, Kazakhstan, Late Cretaceous (

Turonian The Turonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, the second age (geology), age in the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch, or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Upper Cretaceous series (stratigraphy), ...

) * †'' Umenotypus'' Sendi et al. 2023 Kzyl-Zhar, Kazakhstan, Late Cretaceous (Turonian) * †'' Pseudoblattapterix'' Lee et al. 2024 Jinju Formation, South Korea, Early Cretaceous (Albian) '' Jantaropterix'' Vršanský and Grimaldi 2003, '' Perspicuus'' Koubová, 2020, '' Lepidopterix'' Sendi, 2020 and '' Antophiloblatta'' Sendi, 2020 have been transferred to Cratovitismidae, while '' Vitisma'' Vršanský 1999 and '' Permoponopterix'' Nel, Prokop et Kirejtshuk, 2014 have been excluded from the family.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q21366583 Prehistoric insect families Dictyoptera