Gerarus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Supercohort: Polyneoptera
Superordo: Archaeorthoptera

Familia: †Geraridae
Genus: Gerarus
Species: G. collaris – G. danielsi – G. fischeri – G. teutonicus – G. vetus
[source: Brauckmann & Herd (2005: 23)]
Name

Gerarus Scudder, 1885 [source: Scudder (1885: 344–345)]
Gender: masculine
Type species: Gerarus vetus Scudder, 1885, by monotypy [two other nominal species originally included conditionally] [source: Scudder (1885: 344–345)]

Synonyms

Sthenaropoda Brongniart, 1885

References
cited sources

Brauckmann, C.; Herd, K.J. 2005: [Insect finds from the Westphalian D (Upper Carboniferous) of Piesberg at Osnabrueck (Germany). Part 2: Neoptera.] Osnabrücker Naturwissenschaftliche Mitteilungen, 30-31: 19–65. ISSN: 0340-4781 PDF
Scudder, S.H. 1885: Palaeodictyoptera: on the affinities and classification of Paleozoic Hexapoda. Memoirs read before the Boston Society of Natural History, 3: 319–351. BHL

Additional references

Béthoux, O.; Briggs, D.E.G. 2008: How Gerarus lost its head: stem-group Orthoptera and Paraneoptera revisited. Systematic entomology, 33: 529–547. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2008.00419.x
Béthoux, O.; Nel, A. 2003: Wing venation morphology and variability of Gerarus fischeri (Brongniart, 1885) sensu Burnham (Panorthoptera; Upper Carboniferous, Commentary, France), with inferences on flight performances. Organisms diversity & evolution, 3: 173–183. DOI: 10.1078/1439-6092-00070
Brongniart, C. 1885: Les Insectes fossiles des terrains primaires. Coup d’oeil rapide sur la faune entomologique des terrains paléozoïques. Bulletin de la Société des Amis des Sciences naturelles de Rouen, 1885: 50–68. [not seen]
Burnham, L. 1983: Studies on Upper Carboniferous insects: 1. The Geraridae (Order Protorthoptera). Psyche, 90: 1–57. DOI: 10.1155/1983/42898

Links

ION search for Gerarus
ION search for Sthenaropoda
Nomenclator Zoologicus search for Gerarus
Nomenclator Zoologicus search for Sthenaropoda

Gerarus is an extinct genus of Archaeorthopteran insect, and is one of the most abundant genera of Carboniferous insects.[1] They had a wingspan of up to 10 centimetres (4 in), and an inflated thorax armed with sharp spines up to 1 millimetre (0.04 in) long.[1]
Gerarus sp and indeterminate pterygote insect fossils
Gerarus sp. fossil and an indeterminate pterygote insect
References

Christopher Taylor (May 13, 2009). "All About Gerarus". Catalogue of Organisms. Retrieved March 26, 2010.