Review of the Family Thanerocleridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) and the Description of Thanerosus gen. nov. from Cretaceous Amber Using Micro-CT Scanning

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe use of new technologies applied to paleontological studies offers more detailed and attractive results each time. We describe a new genus and species of the relative rare beetle family Thanerocleridae (Cleroidea). Thanerosus antiquus gen. and sp. nov. is described as the fourth Cretaceous representative of Thanerocleridae. The set of characters observed in the new species suggests its basal position within the family and its relationship with the ancestral North American Zenodosus sanguineus, the single extant member of the subfamily Zenodosinae. The observance of some characters, including the mouthparts and details on the thorax’s ventral side, was only possible after the 3D reconstruction of the fossil following its X-ray micro-CT scanning. This fact reinforces the effectiveness of this non-destructive technique for evolutionary studies through the use of fossils. We speculate on a wide diversification and distribution of this predatory family originally connected with an ecological community of saproxylic insects in the Cretaceous that were followed by habitat change and specialization of life inside fruiting bodies of fungi. Consequently, the family has not been recorded from the Cenozoic fossil collections yet and currently shows limited diversification.The predaceous beetle family Thanerocleridae is one of the smallest families of Cleroidea. It comprises only 36 extant species widespread on all continents. Three more species have been described from Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar and France. The fourth fossil representative of Thanerocleridae is described herein. Thanerosus antiquus gen. and sp. nov. is based on one fossil specimen preserved in an amber piece from Upper Cretaceous Kachin amber. The holotype was imaged using an X-ray micro-CT system to obtain high-quality 3D images. A phylogenetic analysis based on 33 morphological characters supports the placement of the new genus at the basal position in a tree of Thanerocleridae, in the vicinity of extant Zenodosus Wolcott and three extinct Mesozoic genera with which the new fossil shares open procoxal and mesocoxal cavities and transverse procoxae. We offer here a key to all extant and extinct genera in the family together with a complete list of all valid thaneroclerid taxa.