Pseudomataeopsephus, a new genus of water penny beetles from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Psephenidae)

Abstract

Mesozoic fossils of Psephenidae are sparse. Here we characterise, describe and figure a new genus and species of Psephenidae from the Albian/Cenomanian Burmese amber, Pseudomataeopsephus burmensis gen. et sp. nov, based on an adult male. Pseudomataeopsephus has an interesting combination of characters, including filiform antennae in male, pronotum with crenulate basal rim, scutellum and elytra with smooth basal rims, mesoventral process with emarginate apex, and abdomen with five ventrites. This unique character combination is unknown in any extant psephenid subfamilies, suggesting that Pseudomataeopsephus may represent an early-diverging lineage in Psephenidae.