Bojophlebia_prokopi
Bojophlebia
Extinct species of winged insect
Bojophlebia is an extinct genus of winged insect from the Pennsylvanian period of the Czech Republic. It includes only a single species, Bojophlebia prokopi, and is the only member of the family Bojophlebiidae.[1][2][3] Bojophlebia prokopi was first described in 1985 by Jarmila Kukalová-Peck, who originally described it as a large mayfly-like insect.[4] This original interpretation has since been rejected. Most recently, B. prokopi has been treated as a member of the infraclass Hydropalaeoptera, which also includes the Odonatoptera (dragonflies, damselflies and extinct relatives) and Panephemeroptera (mayflies and extinct relatives). Bojophlebia is considered a sister group of all other members of the Hydropalaeoptera.[3] A fossil that was described as a nymph of Bojophlebia is now considered to be a separate taxon, Carbotriplura kukalovae.[5] The original description interpreted structures such as eyes and antennae, however these structures cannot be confirmed after restudy,[3] although this may be an example of over-interpretation by Kukalová-Peck, as has happened with other extinct insects such as Carbotriplura and Gerarus.[5][6]
