The oldest malachite damselfly (Odonata: Synlestidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

The synlestid damselfly, Cretaphylolestes cretacicus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Shouchang Formation (lower Aptian) of Zhejiang Province, Eastern China. It oldest Synlestidae, as we exclude Late Jurassic–Early genus Gaurimacia this family. clade Lestiformia currently represented in Mesozoic by two Early genera its stem group, a Perilestidae mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and newly Synlestidae. This group remains under-represented Cretaceous, compared to other zygopteran subclades. probably diversified during Paleocene, Lestidae are frequent diverse Oligocene more recent periods.