Amber Species Research Articles

The Wasps (Hymenoptera) from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese and Spanish Ambers

Hymenoptera is the fourth-most diverse insect order today, including wasps, bees, bumblebees, and ants. They show a wide panoply of modes of life, such as herbivory, predation, parasitoidism, pollination, and eusociality. This group also includes a great number of extinct species from both amber and compression outcrops. Hymenopterans probably originated in the Paleozoic, although their oldest record is from the Middle or Late Triassic, and their diversity expanded since the Cretaceous. Here, we present a review of the Hymenoptera in Lower Cretaceous ambers from Lebanon (Barremian) and Spain (Albian), which is pivotal for the study of hymenopteran evolution. Hymenoptera in Lebanese ambers are represented by 32 species in 22 genera within 15 families, while in Spanish ambers, they correspond to 49 species in 40 genera within 18 families. Most of these species belong to the ‘Parasitica’, and only a few species have been assigned to the Aculeata. The group ‘Symphyta’ is represented by one species in Spanish amber. The paleobiogeography and possible paleobiologies of the species in these ambers are reviewed. Furthermore, checklists for all Hymenoptera species in Lebanese and Spanish ambers are provided.

A new Middle Eocene Baltic amber Exechiini (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) supports the likely rapid radiation of the tribe

ABSTRACT Here, we describe a Brachypeza sg. Ristocordyla sp. undetermined from the Eocene Baltic amber, as the first fossil representative of its subgenus, otherwise known from one extant Palaearctic species. We avoid naming it because it is based on a female specimen, hardly comparable to the extant species and to future fossils from the Baltic amber, because the species differences are mainly based on the male genitalia. As other recently described amber species, the new fossil supports a likely rapid radiation of the tribe Exechiini followed by an evolutionary stasis at the genus level. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3C601626-8EA6-495C-953C-BE1494B20A84

Properhyssalus, a new fossil genus of braconid wasps close to the genus Rhyssalus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rhyssalinae) from Baltic amber.

The new braconid genus and species from the subfamily Rhyssalinae, Properhyssalus szechowskii Belokobylskij, gen. et sp. nov., from late Eocene Baltic amber are described and illustrated. The differences between the new genus and the type species of Rhyssalus Haliday, 1833, Rh. clavator Haliday, 1833, are provided. The position of the previously described from Baltic amber species Rhyssalus brevicornis Brues, 1933 and Rh. rugosus Brues, 1933, as well as Palaeorhyssalus dubitosus Brues, 1933, are discussed.

The first neotropical ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Eocene of Ukraine: finding the first Old World ant nest beetle related to Eohomopterus in the Rovno amber

ABSTRACTThe first record of the tribe Paussini Latreille is reported based on a specimen from late Eocene Rovno amber. It is the first known close relative of the genus Eohomopterus (subtribe Carabidomemnina) in the Old World. The recent and Neogene distribution of Eohomopterus is Neotropical, with extant representatives in Ecuador, Brazil and the West Indies, and extinct species in Dominican and Mexican amber. The occurrence of the Neotropical Carabidomemnina in Rovno amber and the presence of the Oriental Protopaussini in Dominican amber are of significant interest as evidence of the probable transarctic migrations of their ant host in the early Eocene.

Retraction: An Eocene army ant

Retraction: An Eocene army ant

Spectral Characteristics of Unique Species of Burmese Amber

Special species of Burmese amber are highly valued within the gemological market due to their fancy optical characteristics. However, some ordinary amber species are misidentified as precious species, which has disrupted consumers’ purchasing behavior and the market order. In this study, seven Burmese amber species (golden, golden-blue, blood-tea, black-tea, green-tea, brownish-red, and ‘chameleon’ amber) were collected and investigated. By using conventional gemological tests, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence, and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometers, detailed analyses were performed on unique species. The FTIR spectra identified that there are three groups of peaks that can distinguish Burmese amber from any other origin. Additionally, the ‘Chameleon’ amber exhibited special patterns in the third group, which might be due to its internal aromatic hydrocarbons structures that are different from any other species. The 3D fluorescence spectra displayed that all seven species presented similar fluorescence behavior—the 334 or 347 nm emission wavelength could be optimally excited by 240 or 294 nm excitation wavelength in the ultraviolet region and the 380 ± 10 nm or 400 ± 10 nm excitation wavelength optimally excited the 430 nm emission wavelength in the violet region. In the red region, green-tea amber, black-tea amber, and brownish-red amber presented totally different fluorescence behavior, which could be regarded as a reference feature for differentiation. Obvious pink fluorescence on the surface of the tea amber was efficiently found under PL spectra, and we firstly suggest this test could be used as an effective way to distinguish black-tea amber from green-tea amber and some ordinary species (such as blood-tea amber). Both the PL and 3D fluorescence measurements demonstrated the different luminescence behavior of tea amber in the red region, which might be related to the type and content of red fluorescent substances in the tea amber.

Dolichopodidae (Diptera) from the Eocene amber deposits of Cambay and Kutch Basins, India

The family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) from the Eocene amber of the Cambay and Kutch, India is reviewed. Based on a sample of 38 inclusions, the fauna preserved in amber reveals that the family was well-differentiated by early the Eocene. Palaeomedeterus cambayensis Bickel sp. nov. is described and provisionally assigned to the Peloropeodinae, and is congeneric with European Baltic amber species, suggesting the genus was widespread for a considerable time period in both Europe and India. Two small-sized new monotypic genera are also described, Gujaratmyia rotunda Bickel gen. et sp. nov. and Rajpardia grimaldii Bickel gen. et sp. nov. Also included are undescribed members of the dolichopodid subfamilies Diaphorinae and Medeterinae, and unplaced species. The Baltic amber species Prohercostomus noxialis (Meunier, 1907) is regarded as the new senior synonym of Sympycnites primaevus Grimaldi & Cumming, 1999, described with a mistaken provenance of Cretaceous Lebanese amber.

The first fossil Hybocephalini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from the middle Eocene of Europe and its evolutionary and biogeographic implications

The extant tropical tribe Hybocephalini is a morphologically highly derived group of the subfamily Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), which is characterized most notably by the modified squamous setae that cover various parts of the body. Ten genera and 69 extant species have been found in the Afrotropical and Oriental regions, with one species found in northern Australia. Prior to this study the evolutionary history of the tribe has been remained elusive due to the dearth of known fossils. Here, we describe the first fossil representative of Hybocephalini,Europharinodes schaufussiYin & Caigen. et sp. nov., based on an adult male preserved in Baltic amber (ca45.0–38.0 Ma). Using X-ray microtomography, the anatomy including the endoskeletal structures of the head, the full pattern of foveation, and the aedeagus of the beetle were reconstructed.Europharinodesshares most derived traits that are congruent with extant members of Hybocephalini, but it also possesses plesiomorphic and autapomorphic characters unknown in living relatives. In order to constrain the phylogenetic placement ofEuropharinodes, we created an updated morphological character matrix to explore relationships among this genus and related groups. A monophyletic Hybocephalini was recovered by maximum likelihood and parsimony analyses, withEuropharinodesbeing well-resolved as sister to all modern relatives in the likelihood tree. The fossil thus sheds new light on the morphological evolution of Hybocephalini and suggests a broader palaeodistribution of the tribe during the middle Eocene. The disjunct distribution of an Eocene Baltic amber species and an extant Afrotropical-Oriental distribution of the tribe is probably relictual, and was shaped by global cooling during the Eocene–Oligocene transition.

Character analysis and descriptions of Eocene sphodrine fossils (Coleoptera, Carabidae) using light microscopy, micro-CT scanning, and 3D imaging

Of the 12 specimens of Calathus-like sphodrine beetles presently known from Baltic and Rovno amber deposits, 11 specimens were investigated using light microscopy, micro-CT scanning, and 3D imaging techniques. For the first time, many significant diagnostic characters of the external morphology and male and female genitalia of Eocene Sphodrini were studied in detail. Based on these data, three fossil species are diagnosed and placed in a natural group characterized by a derived pattern in elytral chaetotaxy and microsculpture and therefore the genus Quasicalathus Schmidt & Will, gen. nov. is described to comprise these species. Due to the presence of a styloid right paramere, Quasicalathus gen. nov. is considered a member of the sphodrine “P clade” of Ruiz et al. (2009). However, given the absence of synapomorphies of any species group of the P clade, the systematic position of Quasicalathus gen. nov. within this clade remains unresolved. The Baltic amber species Calathus elpis Ortuño & Arillo, 2009 is redescribed based on additional, fossil, non-holotype material and transferred to Quasicalathus gen. nov. Identification of the additional C. elpis fossil material remains slightly uncertain due to the non-availability of the holotype for direct comparison coupled with doubts regarding the accuracy of certain character states presented in its original description. Two species are newly described: Quasicalathus agonicollis Schmidt & Will, sp. nov., from Baltic amber, and Q. conservans Schmidt & Will, sp. nov., from Rovno amber.

A new Stagetus Wollaston, 1861 species from Baltic amber (Coleoptera: Ptinidae)

A new species Stagetus zahradniki sp. nov. is described, illustrated and compared with similar amber species. The new species differs by a very long setation of dorsal surfaces.

Extant Genus in the Mesozoic: Paleoplatyura Meunier (Diptera: Keroplatidae) Found in the Cretaceous Amber of Myanmar.

Simple SummaryBurmese amber is very rich in perfectly preserved insects. Consequently, it is an invaluable source of information for taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Moreover, it forms a unique connection between the Jurassic and Cretaceousfaunas and documents the first representatives of modern genera. In this paper, a primitive genus of Keroplatidae, Paleoplatyura Meunier, 1899, is recorded from Burmese amber for the first time. This represents a rather rare case of the presence of an extant insect genus in the Mesozoic. Three new species of Paleoplatyura are described, indicating that this genus was relatively diverse already in the Cretaceous.Three new species of Paleoplatyura Meunier, 1899, i.e., Paleoplatyura agnieszkae sp. nov., P. miae sp. nov., and P. magnifica sp. nov., are described and figured. The concept of the genus is briefly discussed, and its systematic position is clarified. A key to fossil species is provided. The genus Paleoplatyura is described from the Eocene Baltic amber. It is concluded that, in Baltic amber, this group is represented only by the type species, and the identity of the other two species is problematic. No additional specimens have been found so far in this amber. Therefore, the presence of as many as three new species in Burmese amber, certainly belonging to Paleoplatyura, is a confirmation of its occurrence already in the Mesozoic.

A new species of the fossil genus Electrotrichia (Insecta: Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from Rovno amber (Zhytomyr region, Olevsk locality)

Recent discoveries of amber deposits have resulted in numerous new caddisfly species of Rovno amber described in a series of recent papers (Melnitsky & Ivanov, 2010, 2013, 2016a, b). The list of species previously known from Rovno amber included 42 species (Ivanov et al., 2016; Perkovsky, 2017). Our study is based on a collection of Trichoptera from a new Rovno amber locality near Olevsk in Zhytomyr region. Nine amber species have been reported from this region (Legalov et al., 2021; Radchenko et al., 2021), including new ant species, a new anthribid, two new genera, and four new species of gall midges (Fedotova & Perkovsky, 2015, 2017); additional new cicadellid genus and species is described from closely connected fauna of Perebrody (Dietrich et al., 2021). It total, the new collection includes 6 pieces of Rovno Amber with six specimens of Trichoptera, two of those are described below as a new species of Electrotrichia.

Stingless bees in Miocene amber of southeastern China (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Among the many inclusions from the exceptionally rich fossiliferous amber of Zhangpu, China (Middle Miocene: Langhian), stingless bees (Apinae: Meliponini) are particularly common, analogous to the merely slightly older amber sites of Mexico and the Dominican Republic. While there is a large number of workers in Zhangpu amber, only two species are represented. The systematics and morphology of the tribe Meliponini is outlined, including a revision to terms of orientation and direction when discussing surfaces and features of appendages, all in order to better discuss the traits of the fossils as well as place them into a broader context in the global systematics of stingless bees. The two amber species are representative of two Old World genera of Meliponini: Tetragonula Moure and Austroplebeia Moure. While the former is widespread across southern Asia, Malesia, Papuasia, and Australia, the latter is today known only from New Guinea and Australia. Neither genus occurs in the environs of Zhangpu today. Tetragonula (Tetragonula) florilega Engel, new species, is a generally typical species of the subgenus although it intermingles traits otherwise found in two large species groups of non-Australian Tetragonula s.str. The species of Austroplebeia from Zhangpu is sufficiently distinct to place in a new subgenus, Anteplebeina Engel. Austroplebeia (Anteplebeina) fujianica Engel, new species, shares a long list of character states with Austroplebeia s.str., including the presence of yellow maculation on the face, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and metepisternum, found only in this clade among Asiatic Meliponini. Nonetheless, the species differs in the length of the malar space and various features of wing venation. Keys are provided to the genera in Zhangpu amber and the subgenera of both genera. The diversity of stingless bees in amber is discussed, as well as the presence of these two fossils in the Middle Miocene of mainland Asia in relation to prior divergence time estimates, phylogenetic relationships, as well as the paleogeography of the region and potential biogeographic hypotheses. The biological association of stingless bees with resins, particularly the collection of dipterocarp resins, is discussed as Zhangpu amber is a Class II resin likely produced by an extinct species of Dipterocarpaceae (Malvales). Also discussed are the ecological preferences of modern Tetragonula and Austroplebeia relative to the reconstructed paleoenvironment of the Zhangpu amber rainforest. Emendations to the classification of Meliponini are appended, with the following new taxa proposed: Atrichotrigona Engel, new subgenus of Axestotrigona Moure; Lispotrigona V.H. Gonzalez & Engel, new subgenus of Nannotrigona Cockerell; Asperplebeia Engel, new genus; Nanoplebeia Engel, new subgenus of Plebeia Schwarz; Aphaneuropsis Engel, Koilotrigona Engel, Necrotrigona Engel, Dichrotrigona Engel, Nostotrigona Engel, Ktinotrofia Engel, all new subgenera of Trigona Jurine; Chapadapis Engel, new subgenus of Schwarziana Moure. The following higher groups are also established: Hypotrigonina Engel, new sutribe; Heterotrigonitae Engel, new infratribe; Trigoniscitae Engel, new infratribe.

A new species of the genus Dorytomus Germar, 1817 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from Rovno amber.

A new species, Dorytomus mikhailovi sp. n., from late Eocene Rovno amber is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to D. groehni Bukejs et Legalov, 2019 from Baltic amber but differs in the shorter rostrum, dorsum covered with denser decumbent hairs and erect to semierect scale-like setae, and smaller body sizes. It is distinguished from D. bukejsi Legalov, 2020 from Baltic amber by the densely punctate pronotum, longer rostrum and wide elytral interstriae. The new species differs from D. vlaskini Legalov et al., 2019 from Rovno amber by the elytral interstriae covered with decumbent hairs and erect to semierect scale-like setae, shorter rostrum and coarsely punctuate pronotum. It is the first named curculionid beetle from the Olevsk amber locality, and the eleventh amber species reported from the Zhitomyr region. The presence of seven species of Dorytomus suggests a rather high diversity of Salicaceae in the late Eocene amber forests of Europe. It corresponds well with other principal Holarctic species in European amber biotas.

A new species of the genus <i>Glaesotropis</i> Gratshev and Zherikhin, 1995 (Coleoptera, Anthribidae) from Rovno amber

Abstract. A new fungus weevil, Glaesotropis (Electranthribus) rohdendorfi sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), is described from Priabonian Rovno amber. It is similar to G. (E.) zherikhini (Legalov, 2013a) but differs in the transverse carina extending to the scutellum, shorter antennomere 2, wider antennal club, more convex eyes, and larger body size. It is the first record of the subgenus Electranthribus Legalov, 2013a from Rovno amber, the first named beetle from the Olevsk amber locality, and the sixth amber species reported from the Zhytomyr region. An aggregation of glaesacarid mites Glaesacarus rhombeus (Koch and Berendt, 1854) as a syninclusion with the fungus weevil is reported for the first time (41 specimens); the possibility of the glaesacarids feeding on fungi is discussed.

Phylogeny and evolution of Mesozoic and extant lineages of Histeridae (Coleoptera), with discovery of a new subfamily Antigracilinae from the Lower Cretaceous.

In order to place a newly discovered species Antigracilus costatus gen. sp. n. from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (China) and to assess previously unplaced fossil taxa, we investigated the relationships of extant and extinct lineages of Histeridae based on three data sets: (i) 69 morphological characters belonging to 48 taxa (representing all 11 subfamilies and 15 of 17 tribes of modern Histeridae); (ii) partitioned alignment of 6030bp from downloaded nucleotide sequences (28S, CAD, COI, 18S) of 50 taxa (representing 10 subfamilies and 15 of 17 tribes of modern Histeridae); and (iii) a combined morphological and molecular dataset for 75 taxa. Phylogenetic analyses of the morphology and combined matrices recovered the new Lower Cretaceous taxon as a sister group to remaining Histeridae and it is placed in †Antigracilinae subfam. n. †Antigracilinae constitutes the earliest record of Histeridae from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (∼125Myr), backdating the minimum age of the family by 25Myr from the earliest Cenomanian (~99Myr) to the Barremian of the Cretaceous Period. Our molecular phylogeny supports Histeridae to be divided into seven different clades, with currently recognised subfamilies Abraeinae (sensu lato), Saprininae, Chlamydopsinae, and Histerinae (sensu lato) recovered as monophyletic, while Dendrophilinae, Onthophilinae, and Tribalinae are polyphyletic taxa. The Burmese amber species †Pantostictus burmanicus Poinar & Brown is placed as a sister group to the tribe Plegaderini (Abraeinae) and was assigned as a new tribe Pantostictini trib. n. Both molecular and combined phylogenies recovered the subfamilies Trypanaeinae and Trypeticinae deeply within the subfamily Abraeinae (sensu lato), and they are downgraded into Trypanaeini stat. n. and Trypeticini stat. n.

Hidden diversity of small predators: new thorny lacewings from mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Neuroptera: Rhachiberothidae: Paraberothinae)

AbstractThorny lacewings (Rhachiberothidae) are currently distributed only within Africa, whereas they are prevalent in the fossil record of various Cretaceous ambers across the Northern Hemisphere, with a handful of the fossil records from some Eocene European ambers. Four rhachiberothid species in four extinct genera are known from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Here, we report further examples of the remarkable palaeodiversity of this group from the same amber deposit, adding the four new fossil genera and seven new species:Acanthoberotha cuspisgen. et sp. nov.,Astioberotha falcipesgen. et sp. nov.,Stygioberotha siculiferagen. et sp. nov.,Uranoberotha chariessagen. et sp. nov.,Creagroparaberotha cuneatasp. nov.,Micromantispa galeatasp. nov. andM.spicatasp. nov. Based on a series of well-preserved specimens, we discuss the fine details of the raptorial forelegs and genital segments, which may be important for elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among genera. Our findings reveal an unexpectedly diverse assemblage of thorny lacewings in the Cretaceous System, highlighting the morphologically diverse rhachiberothids in Burmese amber. The discovery of seven additional rhachiberothid species in Myanmar amber suggests the potential for much higher diversity and abundance of the Cretaceous rhachiberothids than previously documented. Furthermore, morphological variation in the raptorial forelegs was found to be extremely diverse among the Burmese amber paraberothines, especially in terms of the size, number and shape of spines (or spine-like setae) on the inner edges of protibia, and the morphological structure of the probasitarsus.

First described fossil representatives of the parasitoid wasp taxa Asaphesinae n. n. and Eunotinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae sensu lato) from Eocene Baltic amber

ABSTRACT New Baltic amber species of Pteromalidae sensu lato are described, from two different subfamilies, Asaphesinae n. n. and Eunotinae. Asaphesinae is provided as a replacement name for Asaphinae Ashmead 1904, which is a junior homonym of the trilobite family Asaphidae Burmeister 1843. Coriotela lasallei gen. n., sp. n.. and Butiokeras costae gen. n., sp. n.. are described as the first known fossil species of Asaphesinae and Eunotinae, respectively. These species establish the minimum known age of both groups in the Eocene. Taxonomic changes are also proposed for some extant species. The genus Desantisiana Neder de Román syn. n.. is found to be a junior synonym of Notoglyptus, and its only described species is transferred as Notoglyptus jujuyensis (Neder de Román) comb. n.. The tribe Calyconotiscini, previously classified in Eunotinae, is abolished and Calyconotiscus Narendran & Saleem is transferred to Pireninae. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A107FF9-28E7-40AA-8A9B-71321E476C07

Rabbit Type Classification Using Multi-SVM Based on Feature Extraction

Rabbits reputation of being cute, fluffy, cuddly critters lend then to being a popular choice for children pets. But in raising a rabbit is not easy, this depends on the type of rabbit. Rabbits that commonly pet are Rex Rabbits, American Rabbits, and Giant Rabbits. Rex Rabbits itself has some species including Rex Amber and Rex Lilac species, Giant Rabbits rabbits includes Giant Chekered rabbit, Harleyquin, dan American White Rabbit. Classification technology can be used to help the classification process of rabbits are Multi-SVM method and image feature extraction to classify rabbit species. Feature extraction used in this study is mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, entropy. The five features are classified with Multi-SVM. The data used in this study are 125 images, consisting of 100 training images and 25 test images. The accuracy of this method reached 92%. Keywords – Classification, Multi-SVM, Rabbit, Feature Extraction

<p><strong><em>Electrodysagrion neli </em>sp. nov., the second Cretaceous dysagrionine damselfly (Odonata: Zygoptera: Dysagrionidae) from Kachin amber, northern Myanmar</strong></p>

The dysagrionid damselflies, characterized by a broad quadrilateral discoidal cell, are widely recorded in the Lower Cretaceous–lower Oligocene, and frequently found in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Zheng et al., 2016, 2017a, b, 2018a). Three genera and four species of Dysagrionidae have been described from Kachin amber, including Burmadysagrion zhangi Zheng, Wang & Nel, 2016, Electrodysagrion lini Zheng, Nel & Wang, 2017, Palaeodysagrion cretacicus Zheng et al., 2017 and Palaeodysagrion youlini Zheng, Chang & Wang, 2018 (Zheng et al., 2016, 2017a, b, 2018a). The dysagrionid damselflies have several types of discoidal cells seen in the Kachin amber species, contributing to evaluating the early evolution and diversification of the discoidal cell. For example, Burmadysagrion has the anterior and posterior sides of the discoidal cell not parallel, and the basal side longer than the distal side; Electrodysagrion has the anterior and posterior sides of the discoidal cell not parallel, and distal side longer than the basal side; and Palaeodysagrion has a long and narrow discoidal cell. In the present paper, a new dysagrionine damselfly is described representing the second dysagrionine in Kachin amber. The new damselfly allows for the revision of the generic characters of Electrodysagrion Zheng, Nel & Wang, 2017.