New Lower Cretaceous aeshnopteran dragonflies from western Liaoning, NE China (Odonata: Anisoptera)

Aeshnoptera greatly diversified with a wide distribution during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. This clade is extraordinarily common in the lacustrine basins of northern China and mainly recovered from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning and southeastern Inner Mongolia, which is one of the fossiliferous units yielding the famous Jehol Biota. This study briefly reviews all reported aeshnopteran dragonflies from the Mesozoic of China. Additionally, three new fossil Aeshnoptera are described from the Jianshangou Unit of the Yixian Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning, northeastern China, including the liupanshaniid Protoliupanshania wangi Huang and Nel, 2010, Parapetala yixianensis sp. nov., and Pseudoliupanshania magnanicellula gen. et sp. nov. The latter two taxa are considered as Aeshnoptera of uncertain position. These new fossils confirm the impressive diversity of the clade Aeshnoptera in the Jehol Biota.