Archaeolepis mane | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Archaeolepidae |
Genus: |
Archaeolepis Whalley, 1985 |
Species: | A. mane |
Binomial name | |
Archaeolepis mane Whalley, 1985 |
Archaeolepis mane is the earliest known Lepidopteran fossil. It dates from the Lower Jurassic (ca 190 million years ago) and according to Grimaldi & Engel (2005) a recent re-examination of the specimen has given additional support to its ordinal placement. The fossil consists of a pair of wings with scales that are characteristically similar to the wing venation pattern found in Trichoptera (caddisflies).
The fossil was found in Dorset in the United Kingdom.