Family Archaeolepidae Scientific name Archaeolepis mane Rank Genus | Species A. mane Order Butterflies and moths | |
Similar Butterflies and moths, Heterobathmioidea, Agathiphaga, Prodryas | ||
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.
References
Archaeolepis Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA