Odontopleurida

Boedaspis ensifer

Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae

Dapingian to Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician)Sweden, Russia
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 1
Photo 1 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 2
Photo 2 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 3
Photo 3 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 4
Photo 4 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 5
Photo 5 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 6
Photo 6 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 7
Photo 7 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Boedaspis ensifer — photo 8
Photo 8 · Type specimen Öl 817a (Sweden; Whittington et al., 1958) Restorations of cephalon, thorax and Restoration (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) pygidium (Bruton 1966) Complete dorsal exoskeleton with hypostome (Russia; Baiya) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Li Nan)
Classification
Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae
Genus
Boedaspis Whittington & Bohlin, 1958
Genus author
Whittington H. B. & Bohlin B.
Genus etymology
Boeda, Latinised Böda, a locality in Sweden, type locality of the type specimens; aspis, Greek, shield
Species
B. ensifer Whittington & Bohlin, 1958
Species author
Whittington H. B. & Bohlin B.
Species etymology
ensifer, Latin, sword-bearer
Age
Dapingian to Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician)
Distribution
Sweden, Russia
Diagnosis
Dorsal shield covered with nodes. Cephalon subrectangular; glabella convex, subtrapezoidal, two pairs of pit-like glabellar furrows; occipital ring wide, a pair of strong long spines extending backward-upward; eyes small, convex; eye ridges long; librigenal genal spines long. Thorax of 10 segments; pleural furrows transverse, dividing each pleura into wide and narrow parts, each with two pleural spines, short anteriorly and long posteriorly. Pygidium semicircular; two stout long pygidial spines dividing the pygidium into three parts, each part with 6 small spines.
Remarks
This species is the type species of the genus Boedaspis, commonly known as the "dream trilobite".