New Fossil Soldier Beetles ( Coleoptera: Cantharidae ) in Burmese, Baltic and Dominican Amber

2019

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479

A new fossil Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 from Baltic amber, i.e., Cacomorphocerus coleae sp. nov. is described. Related to C. eocenicus Bukejs, Fanti & McKellar, 2019, the new species is characterized by 12 antennomeres that are little modified, with antennomere VI saucer-shaped and asymmetrical, antennomere V enlarged and antennomeres VII and VIII squarish and sub-rectangular. The slightly modified antennae of some species of Cacomorphocerus confirm a relationship with the genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuśka, 1996. Therefore, given the synapomorphy of the antennae, Sucinorhagonycha is transferred from the tribe Cantharini Imhoff, 1856 to Cacomorphocerini Fanti & Kupryjanowicz, 2018 (new placement).

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new soldier beetle of the extinct tribe Cacomorphocerini Fanti & Kupryjanowicz, 2018

Fanti¹,

2019

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479

“…Many living soldier beetles have chemical compounds, such as diterpenes, alkaloids and acids with toxic proprierties (Fanti & Vitali 2017), that they use for defensive measures. Soldier beetles with these vesicles are also known from Cretaceous Burmese amber with an age of 99 Mya (Poinar et al 2007;Poinar & Fanti 2016;. However, this is the first time these vesicles have been found in Eocene soldier beetles and in representatives (both extinct and extant) of the subfamily Malthininae.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…nov. based on its larger size (with a body length of 7 mm compared to 3.7 mm for R. maryae), different pronotum and different length of the antennomeres (Yablokov-Khnzorian 1960). While the other known species R. sucinobaltica Poinar & Fanti, 2016 has similar dimensions (a body length of 3.5 mm), it possesses a different pronotum that is more curved at the sides and less bordered at the posterior margin (Poinar & Fanti 2016). Rhagonycha maryae sp.…”

Section: Systematic Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The new species belongs to the genus Rhagonycha Eschscholtz, 1830 based on its bifid claws and for its anteriorly narrowed pronotum. Two species of the genus Rhagonycha have previously been described from inclusions in Baltic amber: R. kryshtofovichi (Yablokov-Khnzorian, 1960) and R. sucinobaltica (Poinar & Fanti, 2016). Rhagonycha kryshtofovichi initially attributed to the genus Malchinus Kiesenwetter, 1863 was then transferred to Rhagonycha by Kazantsev (2013) based on the anteriorly narrowed pronotum, the fourth palpomere securiform and unmodified terminalia.…”

Section: Systematic Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three new species of soldier beetles from Baltic amber (Coleoptera, Cantharidae)

Fanti¹,

2018

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462

Three new species of soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are described from late Eocene Baltic amber from the Kaliningrad Region of Russia on the coast of the Baltic Sea, i.e., Rhagonycha maryae sp. nov., Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum sp. nov. and Malthodes josephi sp. nov. Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum has a few antennomeres that are slightly dentate, making the new species appear intermediate between genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuśka, 1996, with filiform antennae, and genus Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892, which has saucer-shaped central antennomeres. This suggests that the relationship between the two genera may be closer than previously believed. Malthodes josephi is noteworthy because it has cuticular vesicles extruding from its abdominal segments that suggest their use for chemical defense. It is the first time that these vesicles have been discovered in Eocene species of soldier beetles. It is also the first time they have been seen in all extinct and extant species of the subfamily Malthininae and its genus Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852.

“…are cited by Klebs (1910) and Bachofen-Echt (1949) from Baltic amber. There is also one species from Miocene Mexican (Chiapas) amber (Wittmer 1963), one species from Eocene/Miocene Dominican amber (Poinar & Fanti 2016), and another species as a compressed fossil from the Eocene of Florissant, Colorado, USA (Wickham 1914). Finally, a fragment very similar to Autosilis nitidula (but probably not belonging to that species) is known from Tertiary strata (EoceneOligocene) in Aix-en-Provence, France (Serres 1843).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new fossil soldier beetle (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Silinae) from Eocene Baltic amber

Fanti¹,

2018

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464

A new genus and species of fossil soldier beetle Markus karenae gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Eocene Baltic amber. Its morphological characteristics place it in the taxonomic position of the subfamily Silinae. It is characterized by a particular lateral pronotal shape with two difform processes, pronotum slightly longer than wide, with a blunt and evident angle near the basal angles, anterior and posterior margins flat and with shallow punctation, and lateral margin strongly granulose and in relief. Furthermore, each of its legs has a claw with one acute tooth at the base, except for the posterior legs where the tooth appears to be blunt. The new taxon is morphologically compared with the other fossil representatives of Silinae from Baltic amber, and with extant Palearctic genera.