The Proterogomphidae: a worldwide Mesozoic family of gomphid dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera: Gomphides)

The first Chinese and English representatives of the Mesozoic gomphid family Proterogomphidae are described, respectively Lingomphus magnificus gen. et sp. nov., and Cordulagomphus europaeus sp. nov. A phylogenetic analysis of the most ‘basal’ gomphid lineages is proposed, showing the monophyly of the Proterogomphidae and the position of Lingomphus as sister group of all other representatives of this family. C. europaeus is the first Eurasiatic representative of the subfamily Cordulagomphinae that was previously restricted to the Lower Cretaceous of Crato Formation (South America). The Proterogomphidae has a known distribution very similar to those of several other Lower Cretaceous insect groups, viz. Asia, Europe, and South America, showing that the distribution of the climates and land masses at that time was not a ‘serious’ impediment for the displacements of these organisms.