New ripiphorid beetles in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae): First Pelecotominae and possible Mesozoic aggregative behaviour in male Ripidiinae

New fossil material of ripiphorid beetles (Tenebrionoidea: Ripiphoridae) is described and figured in lowermost Cenomanian amber from the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar. Flabellotoma heidiae gen. et sp. nov. is the Mesozoic representative of the putatively primitive subfamily Pelecotominae, represented by an almost completely preserved male. The new genus is compared with all extant members of the subfamily and is most notably distinguishable by an autapomorphic combination of a reduced tibial spur formula and unique ventral abdominal sclerite, and presumably in antennal structure as well. In addition, a syninclusion of eight males of Ripidiinae is discussed. The males are similar to Paleoripiphorus deploegi Perrichot, Nel, et Néraudeau in roughly coeval amber from western France. The syninclusion is interpreted as a result of aggregative behaviour during the flight activity of males, thereby representing the earliest documented evidence of such ethology. Brief remarks are made regarding the similarities among Cretaceous amber beetle faunas, and Mesozoic taxa previously attributed to Ripiphoridae are newly reconsidered.     

Middle Jurassic Coptoclavidae (Insecta:Coleoptera:Dytiscoidea) from China:a Good Example of Mosaic Evolution

<正>Adults of the aquatic coptoclavid beetles(Coleoptera:Adephaga:Dytiscoidea),described from four Middle Jurassic fossil localities in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning in northeastern China,are attributed to Daohugounectes primitives Wang,Ponomarenko and Zhang,2009,which was previously proposed after study of larvae.The generic name Timarchopsis Brauer,Redtenbacher and Ganglbauer,1889 is proposed as a substitute for the preoccupied and junior homonym Necronectes Ponomarenko,1977,non Milne-Edwards,1881. Furthermore,the subfamily name Necronectinae Ponomarenko,1977 is substituted by the available name Timarchopsinae.Daohugounectes is placed into Timarchopsinae because its adults have long,slightly apically widened tibiae and small femoral plates.The adults of this genus differ from those of other Timarchopsinae in the following features:antennae short and widened in the middle part;basal segments of protarsi not cut apically; metaventrite with a triangular plate.The larvae look like somewhat primitive forms in the subfamily Timarchopsinae.In contrast to these primitive larvae,the adults with some advanced characters can be regarded as among the most advanced forms in the subfamily Timarchopsinae,and probably represent a transition between the Timarchopsinae and Charanoscaphinae.Such mosaic evolution within Daohugounectes indicates that the evolutionary process of aquatic beetles is far more complex than previously thought.     

First boganiine beetle in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Boganiidae)

Cretoboganium gei gen. et sp. nov., a new amber inclusion of the cucujoid family Boganiidae is described and figured based on a well-preserved adult from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar), some 99 million years ago. Based on the presence of a pair of pronotal callosities, Cretoboganium can be firmly placed in the extant subfamily Boganiinae, a small group currently comprising two small austral genera. Our discovery represents the first fossil record for Boganiinae. It also demonstrates another example that an apparently austral group may have its sister group occurred in today’s northern hemisphere. Together with the other fossil boganiid known from the Middle Jurassic of China, the finding suggests that Boganiidae is an ancient and relict group. Moreover, the present biogeographic distribution of Boganiinae is indicative of an earlier origin of this subfamily, which likely originated before the breakup of the Gondwanan supercontinent.     

Minute members of Baissinae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) from the upper Mesozoic of China and limits of the genus Manlaya Rasnitsyn, 1980

A brief review and discussion of baissine wasps of Gasteruptiidae, Hymenoptera is given. Eight fossil specimens of wasps from the Laiyang Formation in Laiyang, Shandong, China are described. One new genus, Mesepipolaea, and four new species, M. nanligezhuangica, Humiryssus specialis, H. cancellatus and H. vulgatus are established, and two new combinations are proposed: Humiryssus laiyangensis (Hong and Wang, 1990) (originally Aulocopsis laiyangensis Hong and Wang , 1990), H. oculatissimus (Rasnitsyn and Jarzembowski, 1998) (originally Manlaya oculatissima Rasnitsyn and Jarzembowski, 1998). Sinowestratia communicata Zhang and Zhang, 2000 is a junior synonym of Manlaya flexuosa (Ren et al.,1995) (originally Manlaya flexuosus Ren et al.,1995). Stratigraphic inferences from these finds are briefly discussed.     

A new genus of silken-fungus beetle (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from the Spanish Cretaceous amber

The Cretaceous new species and genus Albocryptophagus cantabricus gen. et sp. n. is described based on a fossil specimen from the El Soplao amber deposit (Spain). The new genus is similar to the extant genera Cryptophagus and Micrambe, but differs from them in the transverse pedicel, anterior angles of pronotum, pronotal margin unmodified, pronotal pits absent. Albocryptophagus gen. n. is undoubtedly the most ancient representative for the subfamily Cryptophaginae described up today. Because the saproxylic habits in recent species of the family, a similar behavior is inferred for this new fossil. It is a new example that agrees with the idea that fossil beetles from Mesozoic ambers are characterized by a saproxylic lifestyle.     

Current Knowledge of Mesozoic Coleoptera from Daohugou and Liaoning (Northeast China)

<正>The present paper is devoted to an overview on fossil Coleoptera studied from Inner Mongolia, Daohugou(Middle Jurassic,Jiulongshan Formation)and Liaoning(Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous,Yixian Formation)deposited in Chinese collections.As a result,species of the tribe Sperchopsini and Hydrophilini from Hydrophilidae,families and subfamilies Silphidae,Syndesinae from Lucanidae,Pleocomidae,Trogidae, Trogissitidae,Pyrochroidae,Diaperinae from Tenebrionidae,and Cerambycidae were first registered in the Mesozoic and some families were defined as new.It was shown that many superfamilies represented in the Recent Fauna were formed within the Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous.The materials examined confirm the hypothesis that Cucujiformian beetles are a younger group than other infraordera of Polyphaga(Staphyliniformia and Elateriformia)and,therefore,they appeared in the fossil record only in the late Mesozoic.It was shown and confirmed that most superfamilies appeared in the fossil records before Cucujoidea.The synonymy of Notocupes Ponomarenko,1964;Sinocupes Lin,1976,syn.nov.;Amblomma Tan,Ren et Liu 2005,syn.nov.;Euryomma Tan, Ren et Shih,2006,syn.nov.,non Stein,1899 and Ovatocupes Tan et Ren,2006,syn.nov.;synonymy of Tetraphalerus Waterhouse,1901 and Odontomma Tan,Ren et Ge 2006,syn.nov.;and synonymy of Priacmopsis Ponomarenko,1966 and Latocupes Tan et Ren,2006,syn.nov.are proposed.Sinorhombocoleus papposus Tan et Ren,2009 is transferred from the family Rhombocoleidae to Schizophoridae.Cervicatinius complanus Tan,Ren et Shih,2007 and Forticatinius elegans Tan,Ren et Shih,2007 are transferred from the family Catiniidae(suborder Archostemata)to superfamily Cleroidea(suborder Polyphaga:first among the family Peltidae and second as a closely related group to the latter family).The family Parandrexidae is transferred from the superfamily Cucujoidea to Cleroidea.The ecological circumstances of the past ecosystems and hypotheses of historical development of the order Coleoptera are discussed.The age of faunas examined is considered.The list of the taxa described from Daohugou and Liaoning is compiled.     

Crust-mantle interaction in continental arcs: inferences from the Mesozoic arc in the southwestern United States

Arc magmas ranging in composition from basaltic andesites to rhyolites and intrusive equivalents were emplaced into the western margin of the North American craton starting in Late Triassic time giving way to rift0related sedimentation in the Late Jurassic. The region of this study cuts across Proterozoic basements of contrasting Nd model ages, 1.7–1.8 Ga (average ɛ_Nd∼−11) in eastern Arizona and 2.0 to 2.3 GA (average ɛ_Nd∼−18) in western Arizona and eastern California (Bennett and DePaolo 1987). The Mesozoic rocks have initial ɛ_Nd of -3.4 to-6.4 in the eastern part of the study area and -7.1 to -9.2 in the western part. All of the rocks have elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁷Sr initial ratios (>0.706). Trends in initial ɛ_Nd values of Mesozoic arc rocks are directly correlated with the Nd model ages of the basement through which they passed. Simple two-component mixing calculations indicate that recycled continental crust in the arc magmas represents on average about 65%. A minimum of 35% mantle input into continental arc magmas, as recent as the Mesozoic, represents a significant contribution to the growth of the continental crust, in the absence of a return flow of continental material into the mantle of similar magnitude. In a detailed study in the Santa Rita Mountains. Arizona, there is a pattern of increase of ɛ_Nd with time: early basaltic andesites have more negative ɛ_Nd than later felsic rocks. A correlated pattern of depletion with time is also observed with trace element and major element data. We attribute this either to progressive hybridization of the lower crust by repeated injection of mantle magmas, or the progressive thinning of the continental crust during prolonged arc magmatism. The present data do not allow distinction between the two models. Progressive decrease in crustal contribution to arc magmas with time may be an important feature of continental arc evolution. Hybridization of the lower crust due to repeated injection of mantle melts during arc magmatism may help contribute to small-scale heterogeneities in lower crust inferred from seismic and xenolith data. Similarly, whether there is a well defined MOHO or sharp crust-mantle boundary in any given segment of the continental crust may in part depend on the extent of crust modification as a result of continental arc magmatism.     

Highly specialized suspension-feeding bony fish Rhinconichthys (Actinopterygii: Pachycormiformes) from the mid-Cretaceous of the United States,England, and Japan

We re-define the Cretaceous bony fish genus Rhinconichthys by re-describing the type species, R. taylori, and defining two new species; R. purgatorensis sp. nov. from the lowermost Carlile Shale (middle Turonian), southeastern Colorado, United States, and R. uyenoi sp. nov. from the Mikasa Formation (Cenomanian), Middle Yezo Group, Hokkaido, Japan. Rhinconichthys purgatoirensis sp. nov. is designated on a newly discovered specimen consisting of a nearly complete skull with pectoral elements. Only known previously by two Cenomanian age specimens from England and Japan, the North American specimen significantly extends the geographic and stratigraphic range of Rhinconichthys. The skull of Rhinconichthys is elongate, including an expansive gill basket, and estimated maximum body length ranges between 2.0 and 2.7 m. Rhinconichthys was likely an obligate suspension-feeder due to its derived cranial morphology, characterized by a remarkably large and elongate hyomandibula. The hyomandibula mechanically acts as a lever to thrust the jaw articulation and hyoid arch both ventrally and anterolaterally during protraction, thus creating a massive buccal space to maximize filtering of planktonic prey items. Cladistic analysis supports a monophyly of suspension-feeding pachycormids including Rhinconichthys, but further resolution within this clade will require more information through additional fossil specimens.     

Llandovery Crinoidea of the British Isles,including description of a new species from the Kilbride Formation (Telychian) of western Ireland

A new species of cladid(?) crinoid, Segmentocolumnus (col.) clarksoni, based on distinctive, disarticulated stem material, is described from the Upper Llandovery Kilbride Formation. Hitherto, this unit has yielded two taxa based on single, nearly complete crinoids. In contrast, S. (col.) clarksoni is known from numerous specimens, including common long pentagonal, pentameric, heteromorphic pluricolumnals with symplectial articulations, broad pentagonal lumina and narrow claustra. A related morphospecies is known from the Ashgill (Upper Ordovician) of Ireland. The fossil echinoderms of the Llandovery (Lower Silurian) are poorly known globally. Where present in this interval, echinoderms are more commonly preserved as disarticulated ossicles and rarely as complete specimens. Complete crinoids have now been identified from nine horizons in the Llandovery of the British Isles, making this one of the better known pelmatozoan faunas from this time interval. However, only two of these occurrences have yielded as many as five or more identifiable taxa. Seven of the nine occurrences are Upper Llandovery (Telychian). Genera are typical of the Silurian or (Upper Ordovician + Silurian); the only remnant Ashgill taxon that did not survive the Llandovery was the morphogenus Segmentocolumnus (col.) Donovan, an ‘extinction’ that probably owes more to taxonomic method than any evolutionary pattern. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First record of a weevil (Coleoptera: Nemonychidae) from the Lower Cretaceous (Wealden) of southern England

A new weevil, Oxycorynoides bucklowae sp. nov. is described from the lower Barremian Upper Weald Clay Formation of south Surrey, UK. The new species differs from other species of the nominative subgenus in the large body size; large, elongate eyes; and distinctly curved rostrum. It approaches but is also distinguished from the Berriasian-Hauterivian Oxycorynoides mongolicus Zherikhin, 1986 and O. gurvanensis Legalov, 2010 from Mongolia by the long metaventrite from the former species, and by the short rostrum from the latter.     

Brochocolein beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast China and southern England

Lower Cretaceous beetles belonging to the extinct tribe Brochocoleini (Coleoptera: Cupedidae: Ommatinae) are revised and five new species proposed in the extinct Eurasian genus Brochocoleus: Brochocoleus yangshuwanziensis sp. nov. (Yixian Formation, China); Brochocoleus crowsonae sp. nov., Brochocoleus keenani sp. nov., Brochocoleus tobini sp. nov. (Weald Clay Group, UK); and Brochocoleus maximus sp. nov. (Purbeck Limestone Group, UK). New morphological data is provided for Brochocoleus impressus and Brochocoleus sulcatus stat. nov. of which Brochocoleus angustus is considered a synonym (Yixian Fm.). The hindwing venation is described for the first time supporting the basal position of this tribe. A simple key is provided to all Cretaceous species of this presumably xylophagous, warm climate genus.     

中新生代陆内造山带的地层学研究——以燕辽造山带为例

陆内造山带作为一种特殊类型的造山作用形式,具有明显不同于稳定陆块区和一般造山带的地层学特征。笔者以燕辽造山带为例,将陆内造山带的地层划分为前造山期地层、始造山期地层、主造山期地层和重造山期地层四种类型。并简要介绍了这四种不同构造层的特点及应采取的研究方法。     

Boring beetles are not necessarily dull: New notocupedins (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Mesozoic of Eurasia and East Gondwana

Beetles belonging to the extinct tribe Notocupedini (Coleoptera: Cupedidae: Ommatinae) are widespread in Mesozoic deposits of eastern Pangaea. Four new species are proposed in the genus/collective group Zygadenia: Z. liui sp. nov. (Aptian: Yixian Formation, China), Z. martinae sp. nov. (Sinemurian–Toarcian: Cattamarra Coal Measures, Australia), Z. floodpagei sp. nov. and Z. simpsoni sp. nov. (Hauterivian–Barremian: Weald Clay Group, UK). The Purbeck species Z. tuberculata and Z. angliae are figured from the Weald Clay Group for the first time. It is also proposed that Notocupes, the largest genus in this presumably xylophagous, warm climate tribe, be divided into two subgenera: Notocupes subgen. n. and Amblomma stat. nov. In addition, the palaeoecological significance of colour markings in these Mesozoic beetles is also discussed for the first time. These discoveries extend the geographic distribution/stratigraphic range of Zygadenia and shed new light on the palaeoecology and diversity of so-called 'primitive' beetles in pre-angiospermous woodlands.     

满洲鳄:中国辽宁晚中生代半水生爬行动物

发现于辽宁西部凌源晚侏罗世 /早白垩世非海相义县组中的满洲鳄 ( Monjurosuchus)化石新材料 ,为解决其系统位置这一长久争议的问题提供了确切的实物依据 :满洲鳄为双孔型离鳄类 ( Choristodera)爬行动物中一较原始成员。保存精美的、独一无二的表皮构造使我们对该类中生代爬行动物的外表特征有了新的认识。满洲鳄四足具蹼 ,它至少是半水生的。     

Clidicostigus gen. nov., the first Mesozoic genus of Mastigini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from Cenomanian Burmese amber

The Mastigitae is a small supertribe of ant-like stone beetles that currently includes nine extant and five extinct genera. Extinct taxa are known within tribes Clidicini and Mastigini; the latter with one genus discovered in Baltic amber. For the first time, a Mesozoic genus of the tribe Mastigini is described, Clidicostigus arachnipes Jałoszyński, Brunke and Bai, gen. et sp. nov., from Cenomanian Burmese amber. The new taxon shares an enlarged and spiny scape and pedicel with its extant relatives but has deep elytral grooves and a strongly elongate and asymmetrical maxillary palpomere IV; the beetle has also enormously elongate maxillary palps and legs. The elongation of appendages in combination with only moderately large eyes is postulated to have evolved as an adaptation to running quickly, with tactile and chemical senses predominating over sight. The mode of life of Clidicostigus might have been similar to that of extant Mastigini, especially of particularly slender South African species that run on the ground and climb bushes and trees in search of prey.     

The first Mesozoic palmetto beetle (Coleoptera: Smicripidae) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber

Fossil smicripid beetles are very rare. Here we describe and figure the first Mesozoic representative of Smicripidae. Smicrips cretacea sp. nov., a new species belonging to the extant Smicrips LeConte is preserved in the Upper Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Our discovery suggests that Smicrips is an ancient group, originating at least in the earliest Late Cretaceous. Together with other two fossil Smicrips species from the Eocene of Europe, it reinforces the hypothesis that the Recent distribution of Smicripidae is relict, and the family was more widespread in the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic than it is in the Recent.     

A new hangingfly (Insecta,Mecoptera, Bittacidae) from the Purbeck Limestone Group (Lower Cretaceous) of southern England and a review of Cretaceous Bittacidae

Rapid radiation of the Bittacidae during the Jurassic resulted in high diversity within this family of Mecoptera. More than 40 species within 23 genera have been described from this period. However, around the end of the Jurassic the abundance and diversity of Bittacidae decreased and only seven species in five genera are known to date from the Cretaceous. A new specimen from the basal Cretaceous of England, Tytthobittacus jarzembowski sp. nov., described here, represents the eighth species and the second fossil representative of this family from the European Cretaceous. This hangingfly belongs to an extant and relictual genus previously known only from Australia. The paper also includes a review of all known Cretaceous bittacids and a re-examination of European species Antiquanabittacus nanus Petrulevičius and Jarzembowski, 2004.     

First records of the subfamilies Bethylinae (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and Cleptinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Upper Cretaceous amber from France

Two new genera and species of fossil chrysidoid wasps belonging to the families Chrysididae and Bethylidae are described from Charentese (Fouras Bois-Vert and Archingeay) lower Upper Cretaceous amber of France. New taxa include: Sphaerocleptes neraudeaui n. gen. et sp., and Nucifrangibulum carentonensis n. gen. et sp. A new bethylid wasp is also described but left in open nomenclature. These findings are the first records of the subfamilies Cleptinae and Bethylinae in these deposits and time interval. The implications of these discoveries, and the features shared with previously known taxa are discussed.