Superfamily LARCOSPIROIDEA Haeckel, 1887 n. stat.

sensu Dumitrica (1989)

Larcospirida Haeckel, 1887: 691, 695 [as a subfamily].

Pyloniacea [sic] – Dumitrica 1989: 228-229 [nomen dubium] (= Pylonioidea) ( sensu emend.) [as a superfamily]. — De Wever et al. 2001: 127-128 [as a superfamily].

Pyloniaceae [sic] – O’Dogherty 1994: 306 [nomen dubium] (= Pylonioidea) [as a superfamily].

Pyloniilae – De Wever et al. 2001: 148 [nomen dubium, as a subsuperfamily].

Pylonioidea – Afanasieva et al. 2005: S286 [nomen dubium]. — Afanasieva & Amon 2006: 129. — Matsuzaki et al. 2015: 29. — Zhang & Suzuki 2017: 8 -9.

DIAGNOSIS. — A Spumellaria with a Tetrapyle -mode of growth and a first system consisting of a microsphere, a simple or forked antapical sagittal cap, and two lateral caps developed between the apical part of the microsphere and the top of the sagittal cap.

REMARKS

Since the well-known name “pyloniids” is not any longer applicable to this group on account of its nomen dubium status, Larcospiroidea, a superfamily name, is used herein. The Larcospiroidea consist of the Dipylissidae, Larcospiridae, Palaeotetrapylidae, Pylodiscidae (Clade M3) and Zonariidae (Clade M4). As explained in the remarks for Phorticioidea, the presence of S1a-girdle in the sense of Zhang & Suzuki (2017) is the key distinguishing trait of the Larcospiroidea (see figs 5.1-5.4 in Zhang & Suzuki 2017). Differing from the G1 of Phorticioidea, the G1 of the Larcospiroidea is conjoined by both the microsphere (S1a) and the S1a-girlde. The appearance of the overlapped orientation of the microsphere (S1a) and S1a-girdle appears the same in Phorticioidea and Larcospiroidea (compare figs 5.2 with fig. 5.5 in Zhang & Suzuki 2017). Differing from its spherical outline in the Phorticioidea, the central part of the Larcospiroidea is elliptical, with two transparent apertures and an S1a-girdle shadow is present (the middle figure in fig. 5.2 in Zhang & Suzuki 2017).