FIRST REPORT OF LERCARITUBUS IN NORTH-AMERICA, FROM THE PERMIAN CAPITAN LIMESTONE, GUADALUPE-MOUNTAINS, NEW-MEXICO

Lercaritubus problematicus Flugel, Senowbari-Daryan, and Di Stefano, 1 990, a problematic organism, was initially described from Lower and Mi ddle Permian rocks of Sicily, was subsequently recognized in Upper Per mian reefs of Oman and reefal limestones of the Tethyan realm. It is h ere described for the first time from North America, from the Middle P ermian reefoidal Upper Capitan Limestone of the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico. Lercaritubus problematicus has a stratigraphic range of L ower to Upper Permian and occurs widely in Permian tropical reef depos its.