Insect fossils in middle Eocene deposits from British Columbia and Washington State: faunal diversity and geological range extensions

Fossil insects in the orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera were examined from nine middle Eocene localities in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, U.S.A. Twenty-five taxa are described, with the majority classified into families. Specimens belonging to Bibionidae and Ichneumonidae were the most common. Almost half of the coleopteran specimens were isolated elytra and identification was not possible. Three of the insect families (Cantharidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae) represent the earliest known occurrence of the taxa in the world geological record and seven families (Lucanidae, Cantharidae, Scoliidae, Pompilidae, Rhagionidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae) are the earliest records in North America. Eleven of the families identified are new records for the middle Eocene of British Columbia – Washington State, bringing the diversity of fossil insects in the region to 28 families. Significant for the study of anthecology are new records for lepidopterans.