Abstract
The stag beetle fossil genus Anisoodontus gen. nov. is described and illustrated as the first member of the subfamily Lucaninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Two new species, A. qizhihaoi sp. nov. and A. xiafangyuani sp. nov. are described in the genus, the former species based on a singleton male and the latter on what likely is a male. The two new species are distinguished from other described lucanid fossil species by: antenna geniculate, body slender, elytra with longitudinal grooves, and mandibles asymmetrical. A key is given to distinguish the new genus from other amber genera of Lucanidae. The new genus is considered to be morphologically most similar to the extant genus Figulus Macleay, 1819, but is easily separated by tabulated features. Based on the age of the fossils combined with their morphological features, we suggest that the Lucaninae appeared and began to diversify before the Late Cretaceous, and the decomposition of rotten wood, which was assisted by the stag beetle larvae, contributed to the nutrient circulation and development of forest ecosystems at that time.
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