Abstract
The third member of the extinct ommatid genus Paraodontomma is reported from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Our observation confirms the transverse ridges on elytra as a diagnostic character for the genus. Paraodontomma leptocristatum sp. nov. differs from previously reported congeners mainly in head subquadrate and without prominent protuberances, pronotal disc without prominent ridges, elytral ridges indistinct, and teeth along elytral margins not forming a wavy pattern. Musculature is preserved in the newly discovered specimen of P. leptocristatum, which further demonstrates the preservation potential and irreplaceable value of amber fossils.
Highlights
Ommatidae today is a small family in the beetle suborder Archostemata, represented by only three genera in the extant fauna (Hörnschemeyer & Beutel, 2016; Escalona et al, 2020)
Paraodontomma Yamamoto was first reported by Yamamoto (2017) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, represented by the type species P. burmiticum
In the present study we report the third species of Paraodontomma from Burmese amber
Summary
Ommatidae today is a small family in the beetle suborder Archostemata, represented by only three genera in the extant fauna (Hörnschemeyer & Beutel, 2016; Escalona et al, 2020). Recent transcriptomic analyses placed Ommatidae sister to the monospecific Micromalthidae, rather than of Cupedidae (McKenna et al, 2019), even though the two small families differ dramatically in their adult morphology. Paraodontomma Yamamoto was first reported by Yamamoto (2017) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, represented by the type species P. burmiticum. Yamamoto (2017) suggested that Paraodontomma is most similar to Odontomma Ren et al, a brochocolein beetle known from Cretaceous Yixian Formation in China (Ren et al, 2006) Later Jarzembowski et al (2018) described the second species in this genus, P. szwedoi. Yamamoto (2017) suggested that Paraodontomma is most similar to Odontomma Ren et al, a brochocolein beetle known from Cretaceous Yixian Formation in China (Ren et al, 2006)
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