Catalogue and composition of fossil Anthicidae and Ischaliidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)

Abstract

Despite the increasing rate of systematic research on extant tenebrionoid Coleoptera of the Anthicidae and Ischaliidae, their fossil records remained largely unrevised. In the current paper we review all hitherto named ant-like flower beetles and false firecoloured beetles fossils. We suggest 17 fossil species can be reliably assigned to the Anthicidae and three species to the Ischaliidae. We proposed new placements for two fossil Anthicidae taxa: Petratypus nigri Kaddumi, 2005 moved from Anthicidae to Cucujiformia Familia incertae sedis and "Eurygenius" wickhami Cockerell, 1917 is redescribed and moved from Eurygeniinae Anthicidae to Tenebrionoidea Familia and Genus incertae sedis. Additionally, three new species are described from Eocene Baltic amber, namely Nitorus succinius sp. nov., Steropes eleticinoides sp. nov. and Tomoderus saecularis sp. nov. An annotated catalogue of fossil Anthicidae and Ischaliidae is provided. We made a qualitative analysis of available data, evaluated the distribution of fossils in the light of current biogeography and geological time. The oldest hitherto known fossil record of the Anthicidae is 130.0-125.5 Ma (same for Macratriinae), of the Anthicinae-37.2-33.9 Ma, of the Eurygeniinae-55.8-48.6 Ma, of the Notoxinae, Steropinae and Tomoderinae-37.2-33.9 Ma. The oldest hitherto know fossil record of the Ischaliidae is 37.2-33.9 Ma. Dmitry Telnov.

Taxonomic Review of Fossil Coleopterous Families (Insecta, Coleoptera). Suborder Archostemata: Superfamilies Coleopseoidea and Cupedoidea

“…However, even taking into consideration the deficiencies published in the previous taxonomic generalizations on fossil beetles, such as Handlirsch [1], Rohdendorf [2], Carpenter [3] and others, it is difficult to overestimate their significance in research and usage in different fields of knowledge. In recent decades, publication of numerous separate annotated lists of fossil beetles on separate groups or palaeofaunas provided many very important contributions (for examples, reviews and catalogues [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], and many others).…”