Reconstruction and paleoecological implications of dragonfly Hemeroscopus baissicus Pritykina, 1977 (Hemeroscopidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation in the Jinju Area, Korea

Recently, many specimens of winged-insects and larvae have been discovered in a new fossil locality of the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation in the Jinju area of Gyeongsangnam Province, Korea. Most specimens are separated body parts which are interpreted as belongs to a dragonfly species. The species is identified as Hemeroscopus baissicus based on the characteristics of their wing venation. This species prospered mainly in Siberia, Mongolia, China and Korean Peninsula during the Early Cretaceous Period. In comparison to morphology of modern dragonflies, the adult morphology of H. baissicus is reconstructed. In addition, the composition of fossilized aquatic organisms indicates that the aquatic ecosystem was similar to that of the present, and that the dragonfly larvae were a top level predator within the aquatic ecosystem along with Coptoclava.