New Stigmaphronidae and Megaspilidae (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea) from Canadian Cretaceous amber

Three new species within the stigmaphronid genus Tagsmiphron Engel and Grimaldi, 2009, and one new species within the megaspilid genus Conostigmus Dahlbom, 1858 are described from Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) amber originating at the Grassy Lake locality in Alberta, Canada. New taxa include Tagsmiphron spiculum sp. nov., Tagsmiphron leucki sp. nov., Tagsmiphron exitorum sp. nov., and Conostigmus cavannus sp. nov. The new Conostigmus species is a rare discovery. It is the third megaspilid species to be found in Cretaceous amber, with the two specimens described herein effectively doubling the number of known Mesozoic exemplars for the family. We provide the first comprehensive report of known Ceraphronoidea within Canadian amber, and contrast this against other Cretaceous amber assemblages, discussing the potential palaeobiogeographic and palaeoenvironmental implications of the Canadian amber assemblage.     

Diverse stigmaphronid wasps in Early Cretaceous amber from Spain (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Stigmaphronidae)

A diverse fauna of wasps of the extinct parasitoid family Stigmaphronidae (Ceraphronoidea) are recorded in Early Cretaceous (Lower Albian) amber from Spain. Seven new species in five genera are described and figured based on 51 specimens, representing more material than in all the world’s other amber deposits combined. New species include: Elasmophron mari sp. nov., Libanophron sugaar sp. nov., Hippocoon basajauni sp. nov., Burmaphron jentilak sp. nov., B. sorginak sp. nov., B. iratxoak sp. nov., and Tagsmiphron olentzero sp. nov. The significance of the fauna is discussed and compared with that of other Cretaceous amber deposits, in particular the tremendous richness of the Spanish fauna is contrasted with the complete absence of stigmaphronids in the slightly younger and nearby French amber. Whether this stark difference represents particularly favorable conditions for these parasitoids, or their hosts, in the Cretaceous Spanish archipelago, or whether it is owing to taphonomic factors is discussed.     

New Cretaceous Elcanidae from China and Myanmar (Insecta,Orthoptera)

A new species of Elcanidae (Orthoptera: Elcanoidea), Panorpidium yixianensis sp. nov., is described based on two new specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China. It differs from other species in forewing characters and spines on the hind tibiae. In addition, a new specimen Burmelcana sp., is described and figured based on an amber inclusion from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese (Myanmar) amber. P. yixianensis sp. nov. represents the first definite record of Elcanidae in the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota, and Panorpidium is the only genus of Ensifera to be found in the Early Cretaceous faunas of England, Russia and China.     

Mesozoic Evaniidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in Spanish Amber: Reanalysis of the Phylogeny of the Evanioidea

<正>One new genus and five new species of the family Evaniidae are described from the Early Cretaceous (Albian)Spanish amber of Penacerrada-Ⅰ(Province of Burgos),San Just and Arroyo de la Pascueta(both in the Province of Teruel):Cretevania alonsoi sp.nov.,C.montoyai sp.nov.,C.alcalai sp.nov.,C.rubusensis sp.nov.,and Iberoevania roblesi gen.and sp.nov.Taxonomic changes include Cretevania pristina(Zhang and Zhang,2000) comb.nov.,C.exquisita(Zhang,Rasmtsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,C.vesca(Zhang,Rasnitsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,and C.cyrtocerca(Deans,2004)comb.nov.,as a result of the reinterpretation of the genera Procretevania and Eovernevania.The new well preserved specimens of the genus Cretevania,together with the characters shown by the type specimens of the synonymized genera,give new information about their anatomical characters of taxonomical importance,and the genus Cretevania Rasnitsyn,1975 is re-diagnosed.The holotypes of the Russian species in amber have been revised.A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant groups of the superfamily Evanioidea is included.Cretevania had a wide palaeogeographic distribution,with the highest diversity known from Spain.The 13 known Cretevania species show a high interspecific variation mainly in wing characteristics,and a wide range of body and wing size.     

New pelecinid wasps (Hymenoptera: Pelecinidae) from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new genus with a new species, Brachypelecinus euthyntus gen. et sp. nov., and two new species, Abropelecinus tytthus sp. nov. and Zoropelecinus periosus sp. nov., are described and figured from three exquisitely preserved pelecinid wasps in the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar (Burma) amber. These taxa, owing to their well-preserved characters in amber, provide a better understanding of morphological changes and relationships among the constituent groups, while further highlighting the diversity of Pelecinidae in the Mesozoic.     

A golden age for ectoparasitoids of Embiodea: Cretaceous Sclerogibbidae (Hymenoptera,Chrysidoidea) from Kachin (Myanmar), Charentes (France) and Choshi (Japan) ambers

Sclerogibbid wasps are obligate parasitoids of webspinners (Embiodea). Both groups have a particularly scarce geological record and are known since the Cretaceous: there are only four species of webspinners known from Burmese amber, and only two sclerogibbids were described from Barremian Lebanese and Cenomanian Burmese ambers. Here we report transferred genus from Aptian Choshi (Japan) amber and new sclerogibbids from Cenomanian Burmese and Charentese (France) ambers. The taxa described from Burmese amber are: Burmasclerogibba aptera gen. et sp. nov., Cretosclerogibba gen. nov. (with C. antennalis sp. nov., C. contractocollis sp. nov., C. neli sp. nov. and C. rasnitsyni sp. nov.) and Edrossia vetusta gen. et sp. nov. The first European fossil sclerogibbid Gallosclerogibba alnensis gen. et sp. nov. is described from Charentese amber. The holotype of Chosia yamadai Fujiyama, from Choshi amber, is re-described; it appears to be the oldest Laurasian sclerogibbid. The significant abundance and variety of Burmese sclerogibbid wasps (60% of fossil species known worldwide), as proxy of their hosts, were probably caused by the protection granted to them by the silk webs and possibly by the limited predation from ornithuromorph birds or crown-group ants. While all three extant sclerogibbid genera have apterous females, genera with winged females (Cretosclerogibba and Edrossia) dominated in Burmese amber. Small silk galleries from hosts may have favored the preservation of wings in females of Cretaceous sclerogibbids. Most new species described in the present paper, in addition to C. yamadai, are characterized by a very slender neck and a very long frontal process concealing the antennal toruli. These characters disappeared in extant species. We suggest that this loss was caused by a change in the fauna of predators, penalizing species with long neck and rostrum.     

The earliest Attagenus species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Attageninae) from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber

A new species belonging to the extant dermestid genus Attagenus, Attagenus burmiticus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved specimen from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. The discovery suggests that Attagenus is an ancient group, originating as early as in the mid-Cretaceous. Along with another species of Attagenus known from the Upper Cretaceous New Jersey amber, it implies that Attagenus were widespread in the Mesoozic.     

A New Thorny Lacewing (Insecta: Neuroptera: Rhachiberothidae) from the Early Cretaceous Amber of Lebanon

<正>A new genus and species of Rhachiberothidae,Raptorapax terribilissima gen.et sp.nov.from the Cretaceous amber of Lebanon is described.The new genus is assigned to the subfamily Paraberothinae.The new material confirms the great diversity of the group in the Cretaceous age and its decrease in diversity in recent times.     

New species of Limoniidae (Diptera) from Myanmar amber,Upper Cretaceous

A new species of Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken, 1860, Dicranoptycha plicativa sp. nov., and a unassigned species are illustrated and described from Myanmar (Burmese) amber (lowermost Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous). A complete list of fossil species of the genus Dicranoptycha is summarized. In addition, an updated key to the known fossil species of the Dicranoptycha is provided.     

New Taxa of Chrysomelidae (Insecta:Coleoptera)from Rovno Amber,Late Eocene

<正>Leaf beetles Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber,from the Late Eocene,are recorded and described. Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber are represented by three subfamilies:Galerucinae(Alticini),Chrysomelinae,and Eumolpinae.Two new genera and three new species of Alticini:Manobiomorpha Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Manobiomorpha eocenica Nadein,sp.nov.),Psyllototus Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Psyllototus progenitor Nadein,sp.nov.),and Crepidodera decolorata Nadein et Perkovsky,sp.nov.are described.A new chrysomeline genus and species Paleophaedon minutus Nadein gen.nov.et sp.nov.is described.Probable trophic association of Crepidodera decolorata sp.nov.,the taxonomic positions of Manobiomorpha gen.nov.and Psyllototus gen.nov., and the composition of leaf beetle faunas of Middle and Late Eocene of Europe are discussed.     

A new dragonfly family from the mid Cretaceous Burmese amber (Odonata: Aeshnoptera: Burmaeshnidae)

The third Cretaceous Aeshnoptera in amber is described from Myanmar. It represents a new family Burmaeshnidae fam. nov., genus and species Burmaeshna azari gen. et sp. nov. Its exact affinities remain uncertain but it is probably the sister group of the Late Cretaceous family Enigmaeshnidae. This discovery supports the hypothesis of an intense period of appearance of many aeshnopteran subclades during the late Early Cretaceous and the Late Cretaceous.     

Cretoleptochromus archaicus gen. et sp. nov., a new genus of ant-like stone beetles in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)

A new genus and species of the ant-like stone beetle supertribe Mastigitae, Cretoleptochromus archaicus gen. et sp. nov., is described and figured based on an exceptionally well-preserved individual in the Upper Cretaceous (lowermost Cenomanian, ca. 99 Ma) amber from Myanmar. Cretoleptochromus is undoubtedly placed in Mastigitae based on its distinctly geniculate antennae with strongly elongate antennal scape, and pointed labial palpomere III. Cretoleptochromus is most likely the sister taxon to the extinct Palaeoleptochromus O'Keefe from the Late Cretaceous Canadian amber. Cretoleptochromus shares with Clidicini the distinct posterior collar of pronotum; with Leptomastacini the presence of mesocoxal lateroventral bristles. The new discovery may help to elucidate the relationships among the Recent three tribes, particularly for Leptomastacini and Clidicini.     

A new tribe of Galerucinae leaf beetle (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber

The new tribe Taimyralticini trib. nov., new genus Taimyraltica gen. nov. and new species Taimyraltica calcarata sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) are described from Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Taimyr amber of northern Siberia (Yantardakh locality). The new genus shares characters with genera of the tribe Alticini (small size, transverse antebasal groove on pronotum, regular punctate-striate elytra) and the Galerucini (narrow, non-swollen metafemora). A possible apomorphy of the new genus and tribe is a large and acute metatibial spur, erect and oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of tibia. This character state is unknown in recent and fossil genera of Galerucinae. Early evolution and divergence of leaf beetles are discussed, and a Jurassic and Early Cretaceous subfamily radiation is proposed. Fossil galerucines are reviewed. The oldest Phyllotreta is recorded from the lower Miocene of Izarra (Spain). Our findings show an extreme rarity of Phytophaga in Taimyr amber from Yantardakh. Absence of Phytophaga was recorded earlier at Obeschayuschiy (Santonian-Campanian of the Magadan Region) and compared with their much larger share in Khetana (north of Khabarovsk Krai); we find nearly the same differences between Taimyr amber from Yantardakh and Canadian amber. In Obeschayuschiy this appears due to the Mesophytic character of the flora. It is assumed that the Santonian amber gymnosperm forest of the Khatanga Basin had the same character.     

New polymorphic psyllipsocids from Burmese amber (Psocodea: Psyllipsocidae)

Annulipsyllipsocus andreneli gen. et sp. nov. and A. inexspectatus gen. et sp. nov., the first records of the Psyllipsocidae from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar are described, illustrated and their taxonomic position discussed. The new genus is characterized by antennae with 16 segments; flagellomeres with secondary annulations; radial cell closed, five-angled, bulged on its R1 border; triangular pterostigma. Species belonging to Annulipsyllipsocus gen. nov. are polymorphic. The described taxa represent the earliest evidence for polymorphism in Psocodea. A checklist of all known species of Psyllipsocidae is given.     

The first Mesozoic pleasing lacewing (Neuroptera: Dilaridae)

Cretanallachius magnificus gen. et sp. nov., first Mesozoic and earliest record of the Dilaridae (Neuroptera), is described from the Cretaceous Burmese amber. Its putative closest relative is the recent subfamily Nallachiinae known by the sole genus Nallachius.     

Another amber first: A tiny tetraphalerin beetle (Coleoptera: Archostemata) in Myanmar birmite

A new tetraphalerin beetle, Tetraphalerus lindae sp. nov. (Insecta: Coleoptera: Archostemata) is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from northern Myanmar. This is the first species of this Jurassic-recent genus of archaic beetles to be described from amber inclusions, and is the first tetraphalerin cupedid from Burmese amber. This small, unusual Cretaceous Tetraphalerus is considered to belong to the T. bruchi species group of this now relict South American genus.     

First Psocodean (Psocodea,Empheriidae) from the Cretaceous Amber of New Jersey

<正>Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber(Oise),and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber(Alava).We report herein the first discovery of an empheriid psocid from the Cretaceous amber of New Jersey as Jerseyempheria grimaldii gen.et sp. nov.The fossil is figured and described.The new species is distinguished from related taxa.A discussion and checklist of Empheriidae are provided.     

A new earwig (Dermaptera: Pygidicranidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new genus and species, Gracilipygia canaliculata gen. et sp. nov., in the family Pygidicranidae of Dermaptera is described from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber. The new species is assigned to the subfamily Pyragrinae mainly based on the following characters: broadly separated cercal forceps without segmentation and the posterior abdominal tergum with mediolongitudinal furrow and lateral ridges. The G. canaliculata gen. et sp. nov. is the earliest record hitherto for the subfamily Pyragrinae, and probably represents a stem taxa of Pyragrinae.     

A new genus of alderflies (Megaloptera: Sialidae) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber

A new genus and species of Mesozoic alderfly is described as Haplosialodes liui gen. et sp. nov., and from an adult male preserved in Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus is closely related to the genera Haplosialis Navás (Recent fauna of Madagascar), Indosialis Lestage (Recent fauna of Southeast Asia), and Eosialis Nel et al. (Eocene of France), suggesting a possible Early Cretaceous age for the clade that comprises these groups.     

New species of fossil oribatid mites (Acariformes,Oribatida), from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Spain

Mites are relatively common and diverse in fossiliferous ambers, but remain essentially unstudied. Here, we report on five new oribatid fossil species from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber, including representatives of three superfamilies, and five families of the Oribatida. Hypovertex hispanicus sp. nov. and Tenuelamellarea estefaniae sp. nov. are described from amber pieces discovered in the San Just outcrop (Teruel Province). This is the first time fossil oribatid mites have been discovered in the El Soplao outcrop (Cantabria Province) and, here, we describe the following new species: Afronothrus ornosae sp. nov., Nothrus vazquezae sp. nov., and Platyliodes sellnicki sp. nov. The taxa are discussed in relation to other fossil lineages of Oribatida as well as in relation to their modern counterparts. Some of the inclusions were imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy, demonstrating the potential of this technique for studying fossil mites in amber. A table, including all the known Mesozoic oribatid mites preserved in amber, is included.