Ruichengaspis mirabilis

Order Ptychopariida / Suborder Ptychopariina / Superfamily Ptychoparioidea / Family Wuaniidae

Ruicheng, a locality, Ruicheng, Shanxi; -aspis, Greek, shield

mirabilis, Latin, marvellous

Ruichengaspis regularis; Ruichengaspis neimongguensis

A small trilobite with smooth dorsal shield. Cranidium convex, subtrapezoidal, anterior margin arched forward; dorsal furrows wide and deep; glabella short and small, truncate-conical, narrowing rapidly forward with truncate front, a low median ridge on the sagittal line, 4 pairs of shallow or faint glabellar furrows; occipital ring convex, semi-elliptical, wide medially with a small occipital node at the posterior centre; anterior border furrow wide and shallow, meeting the dorsal furrows at the anterior lateral corners of the glabella; anterior border wide, widest medially, raised as a dome-like swelling; fixigenae between the two palpebral lobes medium-wide, gently convex, highest near the palpebral lobes; palpebral lobes medium-long, in the mid-posterior part opposite the glabella; eye ridges fine; librigenae narrow and long, lateral border gently convex, lateral border furrow wide and shallow, genal spines medium-length; posterior border furrow wide and deep; posterior border narrow and gently convex. Thorax probably of 10 segments; pleural furrows narrow; pleural spines absent. Pygidium semi-elliptical, with 3-4 axial rings; border narrow, border furrow indistinct.

This species is the type species of the genus Ruichengaspis.