Croudace Bay Formation

Croudace Bay Formation
Croudace Bay Formation
Stratigraphic range: Lopingian (Wuchiapingian); ~Lopingian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N As. S Artin. Kung. Road. W Ca. Wu. C
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Newcastle Coal Measures
Sub-units	Belmont Conglomerate Member
Underlies	Upper Pilot Coal
Overlies	Fassifern Coal
Thickness	20–32 cm (7.9–12.6 in) (Belmont insect bed)
Lithology
Primary	Coal, conglomerate and sandstone
Other	Volcanic chert and shale
Location
Coordinates	32°58′48″S 151°38′42″E / 32.98°S 151.645°E (Warner's Bay)
Region	Hunter Region
Country	Australia
	Croudace Bay Formation (Australia) Croudace Bay Formation (New South Wales)

The Croudace Bay Formation is a geological formation dating back to approximately ~255 Ma, during the Wuchiapingian age of the Lopingian (Late Permian). Its lithology comprises of coal, conglomerates, sandstones, and smaller amounts of volcanic chert and shales. It is best known for the Belmont insect bed, part of the Belmont Conglomerate Member in the upper strata of the formation.

Belmont Conglomerate Member

The Belmont Conglomerate Member filled an engraved river valley and the stream, which transported the gravel that was deposited within this valley, flowed in a south-southwest direction at about 210°. The gravel which filled the valley originated from the New England Fold Belt to the north-east, a highland area during the Permian. This river flowed into the Hunter Trough, a part of the Sydney Basin, depositing gravel within the Belmont area, along with sand further downstream, west of Fennel Bay in the Lake Macquarie area. The Belmont Conglomerate is one of the several lenticular fluvial bodies deposited during the Late Permian in the Newcastle Coal Measures. The Awaba and Warner's Bay tuffs, overlaying and underlaying the Belmont Conglomerate respectively, become thinner from north to south.

Belmont insect bed

The Belmont insect bed is comprised of lithified volcanic chert, represented by a fine groundmass of crystalized glass shards and fine, large crystals consisting primarily of feldspars, along with additional opaque material. In thin sections, the grains show linear alignment, and within sliced insect seam blocks, fine horizontal bedding planes are visible. Cross-lamination has not been observed. There is a slight upward fining within the insect seam, more noticeable in some specimens than others. The seam descends gently towards the west and weathers to generally rhomboidal blocks. In the majority of localities there are three distinct vertical zones. One section of insect bed from site 206 is typical of the sequence at all other sites sampled along the Violet Town Ridge. In other localities there are variations in the presence and thickness of a conchostracan layer, located in the zonation of the fossil insects and in the absence or presence of a basal layer known as the "chopped straw" zone.

Paleobiota

Coleoptera

Coleopterans represent all beetles.

Coleopterans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Permosyne	P. affinis	Permosynoidea, Permosynidae
	P. belmontensis
	P. mitchelli
	P. pincombeae

Hemiptera

Auchenorrhyncha

Auchenorrhyncha includes cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, planthoppers, and spittlebugs.

Auchenorrhynchans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Anomaloscytina	A. incompleta	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae
Anomaloscytina	A. metapteryx	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae
Austroprosbole	A. maculata	Palaeontinoidea, Dunstaniidae
Belmontocarta	B. perfecta	Cercopoidea, Eoscarterellidae
Elliptoscarta	E. ovalis	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae	Tegmen of E. ovalis.
Eochiliocycla	E. angusta	Scytinopteroidea, incertae sedis
Homaloscytina	H. plana	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae	Tegmen of H. plana.
Mitchelloneura	M. permiana	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae
Orthoscytina	O. belmontensis	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae	Tegmen of O. mitchelli.
	O. indistincta
	O. irregularis
	O. mitchelli
	O. obliqua
	O. pincombei
	O. quinquemedia
	O. subcostalis
	O. tetraneura
Palaeovicia	P. incerta	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae
Paraknightia	P. magnifica	Scytinopteroidea, Paraknightiidae
Permagra	P. distincta	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae
Permocentrus	P. trivenulata (Formerly Permoscarta trivenulata)	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae	Tegmen of P. trivenulata.
Permobrachus	P. dubia (Formerly Permodiphthera dubia)	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae	Tegmen of P. dubia.
Permobrachus	P. magnus	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae	Tegmen of P. dubia.
Permodiphthera	P. robusta	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae	Tegmen of P. robusta.
Permofulgor	P. belmontensis	Permofulgoridae	Tegmen of P. belmontensis.
Permofulgor	P. indistinctus (Synonym of P. belmontensis; specimen is a counterpart)	Permofulgoridae	Tegmen of P. belmontensis.
Permoglyphis	P. belmontensis	Prosboloidea, Prosbolidae
Permojassus	P. australis	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae
Permojassus	P. dubius	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae
Permoscarta	P. mitchelli	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae	Tegmen of P. mitchelli.
Permovicia	P. obscura	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae
Psocoscytina	P. bifida	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae
Stanleyana	S. pulchra	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae
Stenoscytina	S. australiensis	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae	Tegmen of S. australiensis.
Stenovicia	S. angustata	Scytinopteroidea, Stenoviciidae
Scytinopteridae indet.	sp. indet.	Scytinopteroidea, Scytinopteridae	Body of an indeterminate scytinopterid.

Coleorrhyncha

Coleorrhyncha includes moss bugs and extinct relatives such as the Progonocimicidae.

Coleorrhynchans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Actinoscytina	A. belmontensis	Progonocimicoidea, Progonocimicidae	Tegmen of A. belmontensis.

Paleorrhyncha

Paleorrhynchans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Austroscytina	A. imperfecta	Archescytinoidea, Archescytinidae
Bekkerscytina	B. primitiva	Archescytinoidea, Archescytinidae
Eoscytina	E. incompleta	Archescytinoidea, Archescytinidae
Eoscytina	E. migdisovae	Archescytinoidea, Archescytinidae

Sternorrhyncha

Sternorrhynchans include aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects.

Sternorrhynchans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Belpsylla	B. reticulata	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Clavopsyllidium	C. minutum	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Eopsyllidium	E. delicatulum	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Eupincombea	E. postica	Pincombeoidea, Pincombeidae
Permocapitus	P. globulus	Pincombeoidea, Pincombeidae
Permocephalus	P. knighti	Pincombeoidea, Pincombeidae
Permopsyllidium	P. affine	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Permopsyllidium	P. mitchelli	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Permopsyllidops	P. stanleyi	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Permopsylloides	P. insolita	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Permothea	P. latipennis	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae	Tegmen of P. latipennis.
Permotheella	P. scytinopteroides	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Pincombea	P. mirabilis	Pincombeoidea, Pincombeidae	Tegmen of P. mirabilis.
Protopincombea	P. obscura	Pincombeoidea, Pincombeidae
Protopsyllidium	P. australe	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Protopsyllidium	P. sinuatum	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Protopsyllops	P. minuta	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Psocopsyllidium	P. media	Protopsyllidioidea, Permopsyllidiidae
Psyllidella	P. magna	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Psyllidiana	P. davisia	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae
Tripsyllidium	T. wadei	Protopsyllidioidea, Protopsyllidiidae

Mecoptera

Mecopterans are known as scorpionflies.

Mecopterans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Belmontia	B. mitchelli	Belmontiidae
Parabelmontia	P. permiana (Synonym of Belmontia)	Belmontiidae
Mesochorista (All listed species previously under Permochorista)	M. affinis	Permochoristidae	Wing of M. australica.
	M. australica
	M. mitchelli
	M. sinuata

Protelytroptera

The protelytropterans are considered a stem group of modern earwigs.

Protelytroptera of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Permophilus	P. pincombei	Permophilidae
Protocoleus	P. mitchelli	Protocoleidae

Thysanoptera

Thysanopterans are known as thunderbugs.

Thysanopterans of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Austrocypha	A. abrupta	Lophioneurida, Lophioneuridae
Lophioneura	L. angusta	Lophioneurida, Lophioneuridae
	L. conjuncta
	L. ustulata
Lophiocypha	L. maxima	Lophioneurida, Lophioneuridae
	L. permiana
	L. stanleyi
Zoropsocus	Z. delicatulus	Lophioneurida, Lophioneuridae
Zoropsocus	Z. stanleyi	Lophioneurida, Lophioneuridae

Other

Other insects of the Croudace Bay Formation
Genus	Species	Clade	Image
Permithone	P. belmontensis	Neuropterida, Permithonidae
Permosialis	P. belmontensis	Neoptera, Permosialidae
Eumegasecoptera indet.	sp. indet.	Megasecoptera, Eumegasecoptera incertae sedis
Meganisoptera indet.	sp. indet.	Meganisoptera, incertae sedis
Paraplecoptera indet.	sp. indet.	Paraplecoptera, incertae sedis

References

↑ Maravelis, Angelos G.; Breckenridge, Jake; Ruming, Kevin; Holmes, Erin; Amelin, Yuri; Collins, William J. (2020). "Re-assessing the Upper Permian Stratigraphic Succession of the Northern Sydney Basin, Australia, by CA-IDTIMS". Geosciences. 10 (11). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute: 474. Bibcode:2020Geosc..10..474M. doi:10.3390/geosciences10110474. ISSN 2076-3263.
1 2 3 Beattie, R. (2007). "The geological setting and palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological reconstructions of the Upper Permian insect beds at Belmont, New South Wales, Australia". African Invertebrates. 48 (1): 41–57.
1 2 3 Tillyard, R. J. (1924). "Upper Permian Coleoptera and a new order from the Belmont beds, New South Wales". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 49: 429––435.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Evans, J. W. (22 December 1943). "Upper Permian Homoptera from New South Wales". Records of the Australian Museum. 21 (4): 180–198. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.21.1943.534. ISSN 0067-1975.
↑ Lambkin, Kevin J. (2 June 2016). "Revision of the Scytinopteridae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Scytinopteroidea) of the Queensland Triassic". Zootaxa. 4117 (4): 580–590. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4117.4.9. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 27395195.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Davis, Consett (1942). "Hemiptera and Copeognatha from the Upper Permian of New South Wales". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 67: 111––122.
1 2 3 Evans, J. W. (29 January 1958). "New Upper Permian Homoptera from the Belmont Beds (Homoptera: Insecta)". Records of the Australian Museum. 24 (9): 109–114. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.24.1958.647. ISSN 0067-1975.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Tillyard, R. J. (1926). "Upper Permian insects of New South Wales. Part I. Introduction and the Order Hemiptera". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 51: 1–30.
1 2 3 Shcherbakov, 1984
1 2 Tillyard, R. J. (1921). "Two fossil insect wings in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell, from the Upper Permian of Newcastle, N.S.W., belonging to the order Hemiptera". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 46: 413––422. Bibcode:1921PLSNS..46..413T. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.14030.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Evans, J. W. (1 August 1956). "Palaeozoic and Mesozoic hemiptera (Insecta)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 4 (2): 165–258. doi:10.1071/ZO9560165. ISSN 0004-959X.
↑ Evans, J. W. (27 January 1950). "A re-examination of an Upper Permian insect, Paraknightia magnifica Ev". Records of the Australian Museum. 22 (3). The Australian Museum: 246–250. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.22.1950.605. ISSN 0067-1975.
1 2 Evans, J. W. (1943). "Two interesting Upper Permian Homoptera from New South Wales". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 67: 7–9.
1 2 3 4 Tillyard, R. J. (1917). "Permian and Triassic insects from New South Wales in the collection of Mr. J.Mitchell". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 42: 720––756. Bibcode:1917PLSNS..42..720T. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.4869.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Tillyard, R. J. (1922). "Some new Permian Insects from Belmont, N.S.W., in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 47: 279–292.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Riek, E. F. (27 November 1968). "Undescribed fossil insects from the Upper Permian of Belmont, New South Wales (with an appendix listing the described species)". Records of the Australian Museum. 27 (15): 303–310. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.27.1968.449. ISSN 0067-1975.
↑ Dong, Qiuping; Yao, Yunzhi; Ren, Dong (2014). "New fossil Progonocimicidae (Hemiptera: Coleorrhyncha: Progonocimicoidea) from the Upper Mesozoic of northeastern China, with a phylogeny of Coleorrhyncha". Systematic Entomology. 39 (4): 773–782. Bibcode:2014SysEn..39..773D. doi:10.1111/syen.12085. ISSN 0307-6970.
↑ Shcherbakov, D. E. (1 January 1996), Schaefer, Carl W. (ed.), "Origin and Evolution of the Auchenorrhyncha As Shown by the Fossil Record", Studies on Hemipteran Phylogeny, SPIE, doi:10.4182/AMYC5234.1996.31, ISBN 978-1-960154-45-3, retrieved 5 November 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
↑ Becker-Migdisova, 1985
↑ Jell, P. A. (16 August 2004). "The fossil insects of Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 50: 1––124.
↑ Riek, 1953
↑ Tillyard, Robin John (1 March 1931). "Kansas Permian insects; Part 13, The new order Protelytroptera, with a discussion of relationships". American Journal of Science. s5-21 (123): 232–266. Bibcode:1931AmJS...21..232T. doi:10.2475/ajs.s5-21.123.232.
1 2 3 Tillyard, R. J. (1935). "Upper Permian insects of New South Wales. III. The order Copeognatha". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 60: 265––279.
1 2 Carpenter, 1992
↑ Engel et al., 2018

[1] Maravelis, Angelos G.; Breckenridge, Jake; Ruming, Kevin; Holmes, Erin; Amelin, Yuri; Collins, William J. (2020). "Re-assessing the Upper Permian Stratigraphic Succession of the Northern Sydney Basin, Australia, by CA-IDTIMS". Geosciences. 10 (11). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute: 474. Bibcode:2020Geosc..10..474M. doi:10.3390/geosciences10110474. ISSN 2076-3263.

[Beattie2007-1-2] 1 2 3 Beattie, R. (2007). "The geological setting and palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological reconstructions of the Upper Permian insect beds at Belmont, New South Wales, Australia". African Invertebrates. 48 (1): 41–57.

[Tillyard1924-1-3] 1 2 3 Tillyard, R. J. (1924). "Upper Permian Coleoptera and a new order from the Belmont beds, New South Wales". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 49: 429––435.

[Evans1943-1-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Evans, J. W. (22 December 1943). "Upper Permian Homoptera from New South Wales". Records of the Australian Museum. 21 (4): 180–198. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.21.1943.534. ISSN 0067-1975.

[5] Lambkin, Kevin J. (2 June 2016). "Revision of the Scytinopteridae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Scytinopteroidea) of the Queensland Triassic". Zootaxa. 4117 (4): 580–590. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4117.4.9. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 27395195.

[Davis1942-1-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Davis, Consett (1942). "Hemiptera and Copeognatha from the Upper Permian of New South Wales". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 67: 111––122.

[Evans1958-1-7] 1 2 3 Evans, J. W. (29 January 1958). "New Upper Permian Homoptera from the Belmont Beds (Homoptera: Insecta)". Records of the Australian Museum. 24 (9): 109–114. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.24.1958.647. ISSN 0067-1975.

[Tillyard1926-1-8] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Tillyard, R. J. (1926). "Upper Permian insects of New South Wales. Part I. Introduction and the Order Hemiptera". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 51: 1–30.

[Reference-1-9] 1 2 3 Shcherbakov, 1984

[Tillyard1921-1-10] 1 2 Tillyard, R. J. (1921). "Two fossil insect wings in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell, from the Upper Permian of Newcastle, N.S.W., belonging to the order Hemiptera". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 46: 413––422. Bibcode:1921PLSNS..46..413T. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.14030.

[Evans1956-1-11] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Evans, J. W. (1 August 1956). "Palaeozoic and Mesozoic hemiptera (Insecta)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 4 (2): 165–258. doi:10.1071/ZO9560165. ISSN 0004-959X.

[12] Evans, J. W. (27 January 1950). "A re-examination of an Upper Permian insect, Paraknightia magnifica Ev". Records of the Australian Museum. 22 (3). The Australian Museum: 246–250. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.22.1950.605. ISSN 0067-1975.

[Evans1943-2-13] 1 2 Evans, J. W. (1943). "Two interesting Upper Permian Homoptera from New South Wales". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 67: 7–9.

[Tillyard1917-1-14] 1 2 3 4 Tillyard, R. J. (1917). "Permian and Triassic insects from New South Wales in the collection of Mr. J.Mitchell". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 42: 720––756. Bibcode:1917PLSNS..42..720T. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.4869.

[Tillyard1922-1-15] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tillyard, R. J. (1922). "Some new Permian Insects from Belmont, N.S.W., in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 47: 279–292.

[Riek1968-1-16] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Riek, E. F. (27 November 1968). "Undescribed fossil insects from the Upper Permian of Belmont, New South Wales (with an appendix listing the described species)". Records of the Australian Museum. 27 (15): 303–310. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.27.1968.449. ISSN 0067-1975.

[17] Dong, Qiuping; Yao, Yunzhi; Ren, Dong (2014). "New fossil Progonocimicidae (Hemiptera: Coleorrhyncha: Progonocimicoidea) from the Upper Mesozoic of northeastern China, with a phylogeny of Coleorrhyncha". Systematic Entomology. 39 (4): 773–782. Bibcode:2014SysEn..39..773D. doi:10.1111/syen.12085. ISSN 0307-6970.

[18] Shcherbakov, D. E. (1 January 1996), Schaefer, Carl W. (ed.), "Origin and Evolution of the Auchenorrhyncha As Shown by the Fossil Record", Studies on Hemipteran Phylogeny, SPIE, doi:10.4182/AMYC5234.1996.31, ISBN 978-1-960154-45-3, retrieved 5 November 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)

[19] Becker-Migdisova, 1985

[20] Jell, P. A. (16 August 2004). "The fossil insects of Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 50: 1––124.

[21] Riek, 1953

[22] Tillyard, Robin John (1 March 1931). "Kansas Permian insects; Part 13, The new order Protelytroptera, with a discussion of relationships". American Journal of Science. s5-21 (123): 232–266. Bibcode:1931AmJS...21..232T. doi:10.2475/ajs.s5-21.123.232.

[Tillyard1935-1-23] 1 2 3 Tillyard, R. J. (1935). "Upper Permian insects of New South Wales. III. The order Copeognatha". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 60: 265––279.

[Reference-2-24] 1 2 Carpenter, 1992

[25] Engel et al., 2018