The first fossil species of subfamily Piestinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

Two new Early Cretaceous fossil rove beetle species, Paleosiagonium brevelytratum n. gen. n. sp. and Paleosiagonium adaequatum n. gen. n. sp. are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. They are clearly placed in the extant Piestinae according to the following characters: body elongate and flat; anterior coxae small and globose; abdomen long and parallel-sided, with six visible sterna and one pair of paratergites on segments III–VII. This is the first report on the occurrence of the coleopteran subfamily Piestinae in the fossil record. The new discoveries indicate that Piestinae have originated at least by the Early Cretaceous, at about 125–120 Ma.     

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.     

Myamalycocerus vitalii: A new genus and species of soldier beetle in Burmese amber (Coleoptera Cantharidae)

A new fossil soldier beetle Myamalycocerus vitalii gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from an inclusion in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Myanmar). It differs from all extant genera that have elytra adorned with small striae by possessing raised punctation, very probably an ancient character as it is absent among current species. It differs from the fossil Ornatomalthinus Poinar et Fanti, by the long elytra and relief points which are less raised and more numerous. This new genus appears vaguely related (not necessarily phylogenetically) to the current genus Lycocerus Gorham.     

The first fossil Megalopsidiinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber and its potential for understanding basal relationships of rove beetles

The first definitive fossil of the peculiar monotypic rove beetle subfamily Megalopsidiinae is described as a new species Megalopinus extinctus sp. n. It represents a stem lineage valuable for the study of the early diversification of Staphylinidae, where sister group relationships of Megalopsidiinae currently remain a big controversy. This discovery corroborates the Mesozoic origin of this subfamily implied by its presumably basal phylogenetic position within Staphylinidae and hitherto available fossil record for the family. Well preserved peculiar mouthparts of M. extinctus specialized similarly with recent Megalopinus suggest the same mode of feeding in Megalopsidiinae for nearly a hundred million years.     

Qitianniu zhihaoi gen. et sp. nov.: The first cerambycid beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea)

A new cerambycid beetle (Qitianniu zhihaoi gen. et. sp. nov.) is described on the basis of a single specimen embedded in Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma). Unusual characteristics are hairy antennae and large lateral eyes, a pronotum with lateral margin, and sinuate protibiae. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the systematic position of Qitianniu is still uncertain and we provisionally place it as Cerambycidae incertae sedis.     

A new tribe,new genus,and new species of Mordellidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) from the Early Cretaceous amber of Spain

The new tribe Mediumiugamiini (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Tenebrionoidea: Mordellidae) is described based on Mediumiuga sinespinis gen. et sp. nov. It is a fossil beetle from Albian (Early Cretaceous) amber from the Peñacerrada I outcrop (Spain). It is the first Spanish beetle described in amber. The mesotibiae and mesotarsi bearing multiple dorsal–lateral ridges, running oblique, metatibiae without any dorsal or dorsal–lateral ridge, only showing a subapical ridge, and metatibiae without apical spurs, define the new tribe. A key for worldwide tribes of Mordellinae, including Mediumiugamiini, is provided. Evolution of some characters of Mordellidae along Cretaceous is discussed.     

The oldest tachyporine rove beetle in amber (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae): A new genus and species from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber

A new genus and species of extinct rove beetle, Procileoporus burmiticus gen. and sp. n., is described from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Cenomanian; ca. 99 Ma). Due to the condition of the fossil, parts of the body could not be examined, but sufficient characteristics were visible to allow the specimen to be placed within the subfamily Tachyporinae (tribe Tachyporini). Procileoporus is most similar to the extant genus Cileoporus Campbell in having a slender abdomen, but it differs in having much shorter abdominal setae, prominent striated microreticulation on the elytra, non-lobed tergite VIII, and in other details of the male genital segments. This is the first tachyporine rove beetle from Burmese amber and the oldest record of the subfamily in amber. The evolution of sexual dimorphism in the genital segments is briefly discussed.     

First false jewel beetle (Coleoptera: Schizopodidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

A new false jewel beetle, Mesoschizopus elegans n. gen. n. sp., is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved impression fossil from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China. It represents a definitive Mesozoic fossil belonging to the recent small buprestoid family Schizopodidae, which is now endemic to the western North America. Mesoschizopus is placed in Schizopodidae based on its overall body shape and size, short prosternum in front of procoxae, wide metanepisternum, and wing venation. The discovery of the first schizopodid from the Early Cretaceous not only highlights the antiquity of the small family, but also provides an example of a now narrowly distributed group whose ancestral groups were probably more widespread in the Mesozoic.     

Evolutionary stasis in enigmatic jacobsoniid beetles

Jacobsoniidae is a small but perplexing beetle family, with unknown phylogenetic relationships to other polyphagan Coleoptera. To date, only a single fossil jacobsoniid has been described, from Eocene Baltic amber (~ 40 Ma). Here, we push back the oldest definitive record of Jacobsoniidae by approximately 60 million years with a new fossil species recovered from mid-Cretaceous (~ 99 Ma) Burmese amber from Myanmar. Remarkably, exploration of the fossil's morphology with confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that it belongs to an extant genus, Derolathrus. The similarity of the new taxon, Derolathrus abyssus n. sp., to modern congeners provides a striking example of morphological stability over deep evolutionary time—a possible outcome of long-term persistence of mesic microhabitats, a hypothesis we argue is supported by a variety of other Recent, litter-inhabiting arthropod taxa now known to be largely unchanged since the Mesozoic. Many such examples belong to the Staphylinoidea—a hyperdiverse beetle superfamily that dominates contemporary mesic habitats, and with which Jacobsoniidae may have a close phylogenetic relationship.This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7C65ACAF-456E-4301-BDD7-0A801768EEB9.     

Re-envisioning the structure of last glacial vegetation in New Zealand using beetle fossils

A series of 18 fossil beetle assemblages are used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of the northwest West Coast, New Zealand, over the period of the last interstadial-stadial transition (ca. 37,000-21,300 cal yr BP). The samples were recovered from an in-filled hollow within a dune field ca. 9 km south west of Westport (41°47′S, 171°30′E). This fossil beetle reconstruction is compared to an existing palynological reconstruction from the same site. The beetle assemblages indicate an environment of marshy shrubland interspersed with closed canopy coastal vegetation prior to glacial onset, and a mosaic of closed canopy patches and open tussock grassland during full glacial conditions. These interpretations, contrast with the palynologically based interpretation which indicates subalpine shrubland prior to glacial onset and widespread grassland with little woody vegetation during the period of maximum glacial cooling. This study is consistent with other non-pollen studies in New Zealand and indicates that the palynological interpretation of the paleoenvironment of the Westport region downplays the importance of closed canopy vegetation in the area during the transition from interstadial to full glacial (stadial) conditions. It challenges the interpretation of open vegetation at low elevations during glacial periods from pollen studies.     

Biting midges of the extinct genus Protoculicoides Boesel from Lower Cretaceous amber of San Just,Spain and new synonymy in recently described fossil genera (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

We describe two new species of extinct biting midges in the fossil genus Protoculicoides: Protoculicoides hispanicus Szadziewski and Arillo, sp. nov. and Protoculicodes sanjusti Szadziewski and Arillo, sp. nov., from Albian (101–113 Ma) amber of San Just, Spain. Atriculicoides Remm, 1976 is recognized as a new junior synonym of Protoculicoides Boesel, 1937 (NEW SYNONYM). Devalquia Choufani et al., 2013 is regarded here as a new junior synonym of the extant genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (NEW SYNONYM). Metahelea roggeroi Choufani et al., 2013 from Upper Cretaceous French amber, is excluded from the tribe Heteromyiini and placed in the extant genus Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911, tribe Ceratopogonini: Stilobezzia roggeroi (Choufani et al., 2013), comb. nov. The extinct tribe Atriculicoidini Szadziewski, 1996 is regarded as a new subfamily, Atriculicoidinae, stat. nov., that includes the fossil genus Protoculicoides, with 13 species reported from Albian, Turonian, Cenomanian, Coniacian, Santonian and Campanian ambers (78–113 Ma). Protoculicoides skalskii Szadziewski & Arillo, 1998 from Lower Cretaceous amber of Álava, Spain, Protoculicoides succineus Szadziewski, 1966 from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber and Protoculicoides burmiticus Szadziewski & Poinar, 2005 from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber are transferred to the extinct genus Archiculicoides Szadziewski, 1996, comb. nov. Protoculicoides krzeminskii Choufani et al., 2014 from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber is transferred to the extinct genus Archiaustroconops Szadziewski, 1996, comb. nov. The Cretaceous subfamily Atriculicoidinae forms an unresolved trichotomy with the extant subfamilies Forcipomyiinae and Dasyheleinae, both of which date to the Eocene. The fossil record indicates that wings with macrotrichia in biting midges evolved during the mid-Cretaceous greenhouse climate. We suggest that this was an evolutionary adaptation to new atmospheric conditions with higher levels of CO₂ in order for the antennal Johnston's organs of males to receive the vibrational sex signals produced by females during flight.     

Revision of the Cretaceous echinoids Heterodiadema and Trochodiadema,and description of two new genera from the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula

The Cretaceous hetero diadematid echinoids Heterodiadema Cotteau, 1862 and Trochodiadema de Loriol, 1900 are revised and provided with amended diagnoses. Of six species previously referred to Heterodiadema, only three are now retained in this genus, namely Heterodiadema libycum (Desor in Agassiz & Desor, 1846), Heterodiadema ouremense de Loriol, 1884 and Heterodiadema buhaysensis Smith, 1995. Similarly, seven species were previously assigned to Trochodiadema, but here only Trochodiadema abramense de Loriol, 1900 is left in this genus. Based on material previously referred to Trochodiadema, two new genera and one new species are established: Loriolidiadema gen. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of the Middle East, and Arabicodiadema gen. nov. and Arabicodiadema alii sp. nov from the Albian and Cenomanian of the Arabian Peninsula. Trochodiadema isidis Fourtau, 1921 is transferred to Aegyptiaris Abdelhamid & Abdelghany, 2015. New morphological data on primary and secondary spines and perignathic girdle are presented; these improve our understanding of the evolution and relationships of the family Heterodiadematidae Smith & Wright, 1993.     

Glacial forest refugium in Howard Valley,South Island,New Zealand

Fossils of forest habitat beetles and leaves of Nothofagus menziesii provide evidence of a forest refugium at times between ca. 34 000 and ca. 18 500 cal. a BP at an upland site in Howard Valley, located adjacent to glaciated valleys in South Island, New Zealand. The stratigraphy of the glacial‐aged terrace sequence of organic‐rich silts and fluvial sand/gravels indicates that soil development occurred episodically for around 15 000 a. Fifty‐four beetle taxa represent seven habitat types: forest, forest or scrub, riparian and aquatic, litter, grass/tussock, marshland and moss habitats. Leaf and beetle fossils indicate that forest dominated by N. menziesii persisted at the site for most of the time period represented, and tree line taxa such as Taenarthrus sp. 1 (Carabidae) and Podocarpus sp. (Podocarpaceae) indicate that the site may represent the upper tree limit for full‐glacial time. The finding of forest at this elevated site adds to the growing fossil evidence for multiple forest refugia in New Zealand during the last glaciation and is consistent with the pollen records, which have consistently indicated the presence of forest species during the last glaciations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The first fossil of dasycerine rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber: Phylogenetic implications for the omaliine group subfamilies

The enigmatic staphylinid subfamily Dasycerinae consists of only 17 species within a single extant genus Dasycerus, but it is easily distinguished from other rove beetles by overall, latridiid beetle-like body and extremely slender, verticillate antennae. Direct fossil evidence is lacking for this group. Here, I describe the first fossil of this peculiar subfamily, Protodasycerus aenigmaticus gen. and sp. n., from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Despite considerable external similarities to extant dasycerine species, this new genus possesses several important morphological differences: a much smaller body size (ca. 1.1 mm), narrowly elongate antennomeres 1 and 2, not strongly transverse metaventrite, elytra striate but not tricostate, and truncate posterior margin of the elytra exposing four abdominal tergites dorsally. The new finding of a Cretaceous representative of the Dasycerinae helps elucidate the origin and early evolution of the omaliine group subfamilies, implying rather close similarities between the Dasycerinae and the monobasic subfamily Neophoninae. Discovery of P. aenigmaticus suggests a rather ancient origin of the subfamily by the Upper Cretaceous.     

New Cretaceous carpet beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) from Burmese amber

Three new species of Dermestidae are described and illustrated from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber: Attagenus secundus sp. nov. (Attageninae: Attagenini), Cretodermestes palpalis gen. et sp. nov. (Attageninae: Cretodermestini trib. nov.) and Megatoma atypica sp. nov. (Megatominae: Megatomini). Members of Dermestidae are relatively frequent in Burmese amber, representing at least three subfamilies: Attageninae, Dermestinae and Megatominae. Taxonomic and morphological diversity of Cretaceous Dermestidae suggests ancient origin of this group with some lineages showing remarkable evolutionary stasis for almost 100 million years.     

The Early Cretaceous evidence of rapid evolution of the genus Helius Lepeletier and Serville, 1828 (Limoniidae,Diptera)

Helius ewa sp. nov., one of the oldest representative of the genus Helius Lepeletier and Serville 1828 (Diptera: Limoniidae) from the Lebanese amber (Lower Cretaceous) is characterized, illustrated and described. The evidences of rapid evolution of the genus Helius are provided. The hypothesis on the origin of the evolution of this genus in Gondwana and the possibility of rapid radiation and expansion in Laurasia are discussed. A complete list of Cretaceous limoniids belonging to Helius is given.     

Origin and evolutionary history of Anglonautilus (Nautilida,Cymatoceratidae) and a new species from the lower Aptian of Spain

The cymatoceratid nautilid genus Anglonautilus is distinguished from most other post-Triassic nautiloids by the occurrence of pronounced fold-like undulating ribs on the phragmocone and early body chamber. Anglonautilus praeundulatus n. sp. is described from the lower Aptian of eastern Spain. It is the first record of this genus from Spain and constitutes the oldest definite representative of the genus. This places the new species at the base of the evolutionary history of Anglonautilus. Its ornamental features confirm the previously assumed close relationship between Anglonautilus and Cymatoceras. An analysis of the ornamental pattern of all species hitherto referred to Anglonautilus indicates that there is an evolutionary lineage leading to the type species of the genus, A. undulatus, and a single successor (A. subalbensis). Several Late Cretaceous species hitherto identified as Anglonautilus (A. japonicus, A. mamiyai, A. suciensis) bear fold-like ribs superficially similar to typical representatives of Anglonautilus. The pattern of ornament in these taxa is very different at closer inspection, though. This suggests that these species developed independently from Cymatoceras. The undulations present in these taxa are interpreted here as a result of convergent evolution. They are therefore excluded from the genus Anglonautilus and provisionally referred to as “Anglonautilus” spp.     

The first record of Ichneumonidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Upper Cretaceous of Myanmar

A new subfamily of Ichneumonidae, Novichneumoninae subfam. nov., is established based on two new genera with two new species: Novichneumon longus gen. et sp. nov. and Caloichneumon perrarus gen. et sp. nov. These two new species are the first ichneumonids described from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. A list of all described Mesozoic ichneumonid fossil species with their respective localities and ages is summarized. The distribution of Ichneumonoidea during the Cretaceous indicates that Cretaceous ichneumonids were documented from localities at high latitudes while braconids were distributed worldwide, a pattern consistent with the distribution of extant ichneumonids and braconids.