The Khasurty Fossil Insect Lagerstätte

The Khasurty locality (Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia, Russia) is one of the largest fossil insect sites in the region. Over the entire period of study, more than 6000 insect imprints have been collected here, representing 16 orders and 130 families. Dipterans, aphids and hymenopterans are the most common forms here, the most diverse taxa are Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Trichoptera. In addition to insects, remains of crustaceans, mosses, liverworts and vascular plants were found in Khasurty, as well as occasional finds of arachnids, bird feathers and fish scales. Two new families, 17 new genera and 21 new species of Trichoptera, two new species of Orthoptera, one new genus and species of Phasmatoptera, one new species of Reculida, three new genera and species of Hemiptera, a new genus and species of Thysanoptera, a new genus and species of Hymenoptera, a new subfamily, two new genera and six new species of Lepidoptera, three new genera and four new species of Neuroptera, as well as a new genus and species of liverworts are described. In terms of the composition of the fauna and flora, the Khasurty locality is very peculiar, it includes both Jurassic and Cretaceous taxa, but in general it can be attributed to the Jehol biota.