The genus Knoblochia is established for fossil insect eggs. The fossils are small,
longitudinally ridged, ovoid to round with projections on both ends. Their thin perforated
wall is covered by minute papillae, inner surface of the wall is smooth or covered
by rectangular files of cells. Fossils assigned here to Knoblochia cretacea were earlier
assigned to the genus Spirellea, which encompass a heterogenous complex of small fossils
being or resembling angiosperm seeds from the Late Cretaceous. The majority of species
of the genus Spirellea clearly represents remains of angiosperms. However, fossils
described by Knobloch and Mai (1986) as Spirellea kvacekii are distinct, particularly
in having external walls perforated, neither apex nor basal projection showing any
absition scar or micropyle in the botanical sense. Attribution of these fossils to
insects led us to designate the new name Knoblochia cretacea with a new holotype for
fossils of this kind. Comparison of Knoblochia with insect eggs of species of Phasmatodea
and Lepidoptera, and seeds of Stemonaceae showed clear affinity to insects. Due to
the high amount of extinction among insects since the Cretaceous, the systematic affinity
of Knoblochia remains open.
