Priscaplectus gen. nov. and two new species in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)

Abstract

Fossil taxa of the extant megadiverse subfamily Pselaphinae from Mesozoic deposits are sporadically documented. To date merely six genera and seven species have been reported from the upper Albian Spanish and Albian–Cenomanian Burmese ambers. Herein we describe a new genus, Priscaplectus gen. nov., and two new species, P. carinatus sp. nov. and P. grandiceps sp. nov. (type species), based on twelve specimens entombed in amber from northern Myanmar. The detailed morphologies of the new taxa are explored, especially notable is a nearly complete foveal pattern that is described for the first time for a fossil pselaphine. The integration of Priscaplectus into a phylogenetic context using combined morphological and molecular dataset suggested an affinity to Euplectitae. Nevertheless, due to the unsatisfactory knowledge of the internal tribal relationships, Priscaplectus is left incertae sedis within the higher Pselaphinae.