Hoploparia benedeni

Hoploparia benedeni is a species of fossil lobster found in Cretaceous rocks in northern France. It was first described in 1886 by Paul Pelseneer.
Stratigraphy and taxonomy.
The type specimen was discovered in 1868 near Grandpré, Ardennes, France, and collected by M. F. L. Cornet. It was found in a phosphatic nodule in greensand deposits of Albian age.
The species was originally described by Paul Pelseneer in an 1886 article in the "Bulletin du Musée royal d'histoire naturelle de Belgique", entitled "" ("Report of a crustacean from the green sands of Grandpré"). The specific epithet commemorates Professor Pierre-Joseph van Beneden, who donated the specimen to Pelseneer for study.
Description.
The specimen is nearly complete. The tail fan (telson and uropods) and many of the thoracic appendages are not visible, but two large claws are well preserved. The length of the specimen, from the rostrum to the tail is – of which is the rostrum – and the animal has a maximum width of . Since the proportions of lobsters change little as they grow, it is impossible to say whether the specimen is a juvenile or an adult. Pelseneer originally placed the species in the genus "Hoploparia", rather than the closely related genus "Homarus", because the rostrum was not adorned with lateral spines. It was later considered part of the genus "Homarus" as the relationship between the two genera was reassessed, but has since been restored to "Hoploparia".