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

Abstract

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.

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

“…The genera belonging to this tribe have supernumerary articles and some of these, especially the antennomeres VII-VIII (sometimes also the antennomere IX), are saucer-shaped (Bukejs et al 2019;Fanti & Kupryjanowicz 2018). The species Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum Fanti & Pankowski, 2018, Cacomorphocerus eocenicus Bukejs, Fanti & McKellar, 2019 and Cacomorphocerus coleae sp. nov., have 12-segmented antennae but with little-modified antennomeres VI-VII (Bukejs et al 2019;Fanti & Pankowski 2018).…”

“…C. coleae sp. nov. is also similar to Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum Fanti & Pankowski, 2018. However, S. samsockorum possesses claws without lobes or teeth (an important diagnostic character at the taxonomic level for the family Cantharidae), as well as antennomeres IV-V that are slightly dentate and antennomeres III and VII that are very little modified (Fanti & Pankowski 2018).…”

“…It currently consists of seven species (Schaufuss 1892;Kuśka & Kania 2010;Fanti & Kupryjanowicz 2018;Bukejs et al 2019; and the present work). The genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuśka, 1996, which is very close phylogenetically to Cacomorphocerus (Kuśka 1996;Fanti & Pankowski 2018), is known from only two species. Both genera are characterized by 12 antennomeres but differ in the presence/absence of a basal lobe or denticle on the claws (Fanti & Pankowski 2018).…”

“…The genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuśka, 1996, which is very close phylogenetically to Cacomorphocerus (Kuśka 1996;Fanti & Pankowski 2018), is known from only two species. Both genera are characterized by 12 antennomeres but differ in the presence/absence of a basal lobe or denticle on the claws (Fanti & Pankowski 2018). In the present work, we describe a new species of Cacomorphocerus and discuss its morphological similarity and relationship to Cacomorphocerus eocenicus Bukejs, Fanti & McKellar, 2019.…”

New subgenus and three new species of soldier beetles from the Eocene of Baltic amber

“…Female unknown. (Fanti, 2017b(Fanti, , 2017c(Fanti, , 2018Fanti and Vitali, 2017;Fanti and Damgaard, 2018;Fanti and Michalski, 2018;Fanti and Pankowski, 2018).…”