A new genus of fungus weevils (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) in Rovno amber

Andrei A Legalov,Vitaliy Y Nazarenko,Evgeny E Perkovsky

doi:10.5194/fr-21-207-2018

Abstract

Abstract. New fungus weevils, Eduardoxenus unicus (ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5732 BC85-9148-4FE5-A4F6-46847BA0138D, urn:lsid:zoobank.org: act:4D3B3EA8-AE0E-4E6D-A770-B427AC19ED03) Legalov, Nazarenko et Perkovsky, gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), are described from late Eocene Rovno amber. The new genus is similar to the genus Cyptoxenus Valentine, 1982, but differs in coarsely faceted eyes, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 1 and an almost glabrous body. It differs from the genus Valenfriesia Alonso-Zarazaga et Lyal, 1999 in the coarsely faceted eyes, almost straight transversal carina on the pronotum and distinct elytral humeri, and it differs from the genus Neoxenus Valentine, 1999 in distinct lateral carina on the pronotum, coarsely faceted eyes and almost straight transversal pronotal carina. This fossil fungus weevil is the oldest finding of the tribe Valenfriesiini in fossil state and the first record of the Choraginae from the Eocene amber. The palaeogeographical and palaeoclimatological importance of finding Valenfriesiini in Rovno amber is discussed.

Highlights

Fungus weevils are a very diverse group of primitive weevils closely related to the family Nemonychidae and adapted to development in rotting wood or in seeds
We describe a new genus with a new species belonging to the tribe Valenfriesiini
A total of 18 species from the eight genera of the tribes Cratoparini, Platystomini, Eugonini, Piesocorynini, Choragini and Valenfriesiini were described from Miocene Dominican and Mexican ambers (Poinar Jr. and Legalov, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Fungus weevils are a very diverse group of primitive weevils closely related to the family Nemonychidae and adapted to development in rotting wood or in seeds. An un-described species of this subfamily is recorded from the Eocene Baltic amber (Hieke and Pietrzeniuk, 1984). Most species and supraspecific taxa of Anthribidae belong to the subfamily Anthribinae, which is recorded from the middle Cretaceous of the Russian Far East (Zherikhin, 1993; Legalov, 2013b; Nadein and Perkovsky, 2018). The earliest find of the Choraginae is known from the Early Cretaceous of Spain (Soriano et al, 2006). Several species of this subfamily were described from the Miocene Dominican amber (Poinar Jr. and Legalov, 2016). The Choraginae were not known earlier from the Eocene European amber (Legalov, 2015). We describe a new genus with a new species belonging to the tribe Valenfriesiini

Material and methods

Systematic paleontology

Discussion