The first representative of the beetle family Chelonariidae in Dominican amber

Abstract

The present paper describes Chelonarium dominicanum sp. nov., the first fossil representative of the family Chelonariidae (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea) in Dominican amber. The specimen is characterized by the shape of its body and head, absence of body pubescence, wide profemora and presence of small tubercles covering the abdominal sternites. The size, rounded clypeus with a small, blunt projection at the tip, flat pronotal disc with lateral margins extending over the head and the protibia much wider than the adjacent profemur and mesotibia, separate the present species from previously known members of the family. Since the larvae of Chelonariidae are assumed to be semi-aquatic, there would have been many fresh water habitats for it in the Dominican amber forest.