Baltic Amber Research Articles

A new species of helicopsychid caddisfly (Insecta, Trichoptera) in Baltic amber, based on a male with remarkable androconial head organs

A new species of helicopsychid caddisfly (Insecta, Trichoptera) in Baltic amber, based on a male with remarkable androconial head organs

New finding of Bolbossus bervoetsi Gnezdilov et Bourgoin, 2016 (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Issidae) in Baltic amber, with description of a female and fifth instar nymph

New material on the planthopper species, Bolbossus bervoetsi Gnezdilov et Bourgoin, 2016 (Issidae, Issinae, Parahiraciini), originally described more than 100 years ago based on an adult of unknown sex from the Baltic amber, is redescribed and illustrated based on a female and fifth instar nymph recently discovered in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Denmark (Copenhagen).

The second extinct microhisterid species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Bacaniini) described from the Eocene Rovno amber using X-Ray microtomography

ABSTRACT The third fossil species of the tribe Bacaniini (Coleoptera, Histeridae), Bacanius caterinoi Sokolov et Perkovsky, sp. nov., is described from the Eocene Rovno amber. Previous two extinct species were known from the Rovno and Baltic amber. We compared the new species with them and extant representatives of related taxa. The new species belongs to the extant genus Bacanius LeConte, 1853 and can be included to the extant subgenus Gomyister Mazur 1984. This is the second species of the subgenus from Rovno amber indicating the diversity of this currently primarily tropical group in the Eocene of Europe. Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:85027CC6-42D0-44CB-B111-8CE1A8F53F12

A new species of Eocene fossil Malthodes (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) with a rarely observed aedeagus.

A new Malthodes (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Malthininae) in Eocene amber from Poland (Baltic amber) is illustrated and described here: Malthodes (s. str.) maximiliani sp. nov. The new species of soldier beetle is characterized by its small body size and last tergites and last sternite distinct from similar taxa. Notably, the specimen has a partially visible aedeagus, a characteristic rarely seen in fossil Malthodes of the nominotypical subgenus; it has been observed in only three fossil species of this subgenus.

The first fossil of a tenebrionoid taxonomic enigma: Agnathus Germar (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Agnathinae) in Bitterfeld amber, with remarks about age and geographic origin of the fossil

ABSTRACT Based on an inclusion in Bitterfeld amber, the first extinct species of the subfamily Agnathinae (Pyrochroidae) is described and illustrated. Agnathus groehni sp. nov. differs from two extant congeners in having the smaller body size; transverse W-shaped groove near posterior pronotal margin; the unicolourous black body and the elytral pubescence uniform without tomentose pattern. As demonstrated herein, the genus Agnathus is morphologically stable over at least 23 Ma years and inhabited the Western Palaearctic already in the Palaeogene. Zoogeography of extant species, palaeobionomy of the extinct species and difficulties in its reconstruction, as well as age and origin of Bitterfeld amber, are briefly discussed.

The first record of the highly derived genus Oligoneurus Szépligeti, 1902 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Ichneutinae, Muesebeckiini) from Eocene Danish amber with description of a new species

A new species of the braconid parasitoid subfamily Ichneutinae, Oligoneurus eocenus Belokobylskij, sp. nov., from late Eocene Danish amber is described and illustrated. The specimen is the first representative (female) of the tribe Muesebeckiini and the genus Oligoneurus Szépligeti, 1902 documented in the fossil record. The taxonomic position and composition of Ichneutinae, taxonomical position of Oligoneurus and known fossil ichneutine members are also discussed. The half of Danish hymenopteran genera are now unknown from Baltic amber.

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

Extinct and extant termites reveal the fidelity of behavior fossilization in amber

Fossils encompassing multiple individuals provide rare direct evidence of behavioral interactions among extinct organisms. However, the fossilization process can alter the spatial relationship between individuals and hinder behavioral reconstruction. Here, we report a Baltic amber inclusion preserving a female-male pair of the extinct termite species Electrotermes affinis. The head-to-abdomen contact in the fossilized pair resembles the tandem courtship behavior of extant termites, although their parallel body alignment differs from the linear alignment typical of tandem runs. To solve this inconsistency, we simulated the first stage of amber formation, the immobilization of captured organisms, by exposing living termite tandems to sticky surfaces. We found that the posture of the fossilized pair matches trapped tandems and differs from untrapped tandems. Thus, the fossilized pair likely is a tandem running pair, representing the direct evidence of the mating behavior of extinct termites. Furthermore, by comparing the postures of partners on a sticky surface and in the amber inclusion, we estimated that the male likely performed the leader role in the fossilized tandem. Our results demonstrate that past behavioral interactions can be reconstructed despite the spatial distortion of body poses during fossilization. Our taphonomic approach demonstrates how certain behaviors can be inferred from fossil occurrences.

First record of the parasitoid family Ismaridae (Hymenoptera, Diaprioidea) from Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers with the description of a new genus and two new species.

A new genus, Lubomirus gen. nov., of the family Ismaridae (Hymenoptera, Diaprioidea) from the late Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers is described and illustrated. The new genus is the second known genus of the family Ismaridae. The two new species, Lubomirus masneri sp. nov. from Rovno amber and Lubomirus victori sp. nov. from Baltic amber, are described. The diagnosis of the Ismaridae family and the single extant genus of the familyIsmarus Halidayare clarified. The systematic position of Cretapria Fujiyama, 1994 is discussed.

Echoes from the Cretaceous: new fossils shed light on the evolution of host detection and concealed ovipositor apparatus in the parasitoid wasp superfamily Orussoidea (Hymenoptera)

Abstract †Kryptovelona carstengroehni gen. et sp. nov. and †Orussus juttagroehnae sp. nov. are the first female members of the parasitoid wasp family Orussidae recorded from Baltic amber. We describe them, including relevant parts of the internal anatomy examined with synchrotron scanning. The fossils display a number of modifications in the antennae and foreleg correlated with the specialized host-detection mechanism, and in the ovipositor apparatus, as well as in the thorax and abdomen for accommodating the internalized ovipositor. The presence of these and other features places them as crown-group members of the Orussidae, as demonstrated by Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. The recently described stem-group orussoid fossils from Burmese amber, the probable female †Cretorussus vilhelmseni, and probable male †Burmorussus mirabilis (both placed in Burmorussidae), were also included in the dataset. By comparing the new Baltic amber taxa with †Cretorussus, it is possible to trace the progressive refinement of the echolocation mechanism through reductions in the number of antennomeres and foreleg tarsomeres. Unfortunately, †Cretorussus does not have the posterior part of the abdomen with the ovipositor preserved. Nevertheless, it is possible to infer that the putative echolocation mechanism for host detection evolved at least 100 Mya, whereas the concealed ovipositor apparatus has not been documented in fossils older than approx. 35 Mya.

A new fossil genus near Meghyperus Loew from Baltic amber (Diptera: Atelestidae)

The Atelestidae are a small family of empidoid flies (Diptera: Empidoidea), including 15 recent species in five genera (Sinclair & Grimaldi, 2020). In contrast, they have a rather high fossil diversity (Table 1), with 28 species in nine genera. These fossil taxa are almost entirely from Cretaceous ambers (Canadian, Lebanese, Myanmar, New Jersey, Spanish), and prior to this study only a single described species from Baltic amber (Nemedina eocenica Sinclair & Arnaud, 2001) was known. The extant species are widespread, with two Afrotropical, three Neotropical, two Nearctic and eight Palaearctic species. This family is recognized within the Empidoidea on the basis of their well-developed anal lobe of the wing, distinct alula, R4+5 unforked, M1+2 usually unforked or forked beyond cell dm, cell cua long, at least as long as cell bm, female tergite 10 absent, male terminalia symmetrical and unrotated, with elongate gonocoxal apodemes and shortened hypandrium (Chvála, 1983; Grimaldi & Cumming, 1999; Sinclair & Cumming, 2006).

A new species of long-legged flies with a brief review and key to species of the genus Wheelerenomyia Meunier from Eocene Baltic amber (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

A new species Wheelerenomyia negrobovi sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the late Eocene Baltic amber. The genus is placed in the extant subfamily Sciapodinae and includes 13 recognized species, all from Baltic amber. A key to species of this genus is proposed. The following new synonyms are proposed: Wheelerenomyia eocenica Meunier, 1907 = Nematoproctus subparvus Meunier, 1916, syn. nov.; Wheelerenomyia originaria (Meunier, 1907) = Amesorhaga quadrispinosa Negrobov & Selivanova, 2003, syn. nov.; Wheelerenomyia parva (Meunier, 1907) = Nematoproctus parvulus Meunier, 1907, syn. nov.

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 hidden world of fossil larvae: description and morphological insights of an immature scorpionfly (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) from the Baltic amber

Abstract So far, there has been no information of the pre-imaginal stages in the well-preserved fossil record of the Mecoptera. The first and well-preserved mecopteran larva was discovered in Eocene Baltic amber. The application of synchrotron X-ray microtomography enabled the reconstruction of the body structure with high accuracy, providing a comprehensive set of morphological data that classical stereoscopic microscopy could not capture. The larva is eruciform, with distinct segmentation of the body. All the most important morphological structures are documented, including the chaetotaxy system. Shape of antenna and annulated processes on the abdominal segments point to the third/four stage of development. There is no doubt that the larva belongs to Panorpidae, the most abundant family of extant Mecoptera. The morphological characters point to the closest affinity to larvae of Cerapanorpa and Panorpa but the fossil larva cannot be assigned to any extant genus of Panorpidae. Based on the results of synchrotron X-ray microtomography, it is possible to discuss the assignement of this larva to a lower systematic level than the family, and draw conclusions about the nature of the habitat preferences of Eocene panorpid.

Stephanopachys ambericus Zahradník et Háva, 2015 (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) from Eocene Danish amber and Baltic amber from Latvia in collection of the Natural History Museum of Denmark

Stephanopachys ambericus Zahradník & Háva, 2015 from the subfamily Dinoderinae is recorded from Eocene Danish amber and Baltic amber from Latvia for the first time. Diagnosis of this species is made, and illustrations are given. Fossil records of auger beetles are discussed.

A new mayfly subfamily sheds light on the early evolution and Pangean origin of Baetiscidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera)

The family Baetiscidae Edmunds & Traver, 1954 is recognisable among mayflies due to its bizarre larvae, equipped with a robust and spiked thoracic notal shield covering part of the abdomen up to sixth segment. Originally being described as extant species from the USA and Canada, Baetiscidae were later found in the fossil record as well, specifically in Cretaceous of Brazil and Eocene Baltic amber. An enigmatic piece of fossil evidence are two larvae from the Early Cretaceous Koonwarra Fossil Bed in Australia, which have been presumed as attributable to Baetiscidae and briefly discussed in previous studies. In the present contribution, we reinvestigate these fossils and confirm their attribution to the family Baetiscidae. These larvae are depicted and described as Koonwarrabaetisca jelligen. et sp. nov. and Koonwarrabaetisca duncanisp. nov. For both Cretaceous genera Protobaetisca Staniczek, 2007 and Koonwarrabaetiscagen. nov. we establish a new subfamily Protobaetiscinae subfam. nov. within the family Baetiscidae, based on the presence of markedly shortened thoracic sterna. The phylogenetic position of newly described subfamily is clarified using a cladistic analysis; Protobaetiscinae subfam. nov. forms a monophyletic clade, sister to Baetiscinae. The confirmation of the distribution of Baetiscidae in the Cretaceous of Australia suggests almost worldwide distribution of this family in the deep time. Given their limited dispersal abilities, this distributional pattern can be best explained by the Pangean origin for this family, moving the time of their origin at least to the Early Jurassic. The larvae of Koonwarrabaetiscagen. nov. exhibit the same ecomorphological specialization as the rest of Baetiscidae, that supporting with a high probability their lifestyle similar to extant Baetisca Walsh, 1862. The larvae probably lived in the flowing water with stony substrate densely covered by filamentous algae, and in the places of accumulation of dead plant and algae matter during the last instars. Thus, Koonwarrabaetiscagen. nov. could be the allochthonous component in mayfly fauna of the Koonwarra paleolake.

A remarkable fossil berothoid larva (Neuroptera) from the late Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine)

ABSTRACT The larva of Berothidae or Rhachiberothidae (Neuroptera) is described from the late Eocene Rovno amber; it is the first record of either family from this amber. The larva is in particular characteristic with a four-segmented antenna, at least five stemmata, and lateral sutures on the head capsule connecting the coronal suture and lateral margins of the head. Based on these characters, the larva probably may belong to one of basal taxa of Berothidae, possibly to a suprageneric taxon which includes an undescribed small species from Baltic amber which is closely related to the mid-Cretaceous Haploberotha, or to Rhachiberothidae. This larva was most likely free living, possibly occurring under/on tree bark. In addition, the genus Protomenocria Emeljanov and Shcherbakov 2009 (Hemiptera: Achilidae) is recorded from Rovno amber for the first time.

Two new species of Tasiocera Skuse from Baltic amber (Diptera, Limoniidae)

The paper presents very rare fossil record of crane flies. Inclusions in Baltic amber have documented the second evidence of the existence of the genus Tasiocera (Diptera: Limoniidae: Chioneinae) in ancient epochs of Earth’s history. Hypotheses were also introduced regarding the environmental preferences of fossil Dasymolopilus in relation to modern representatives of the subgenus. The genus is numerous in species and widespread in the modern fauna, while only one species, Tasiocera (Dasymolophilus) circumcincta, has been known from the fossil record to date. The paper presents an additional description and graphic documentation of this species based on new materials. The discovery of two other species Tasiocera (Dasymolophilus) gorskii sp. nov. and Tasiocera (Dasymolophilus) baltica sp. nov. in Eocene resins documents the occurence of Tasiocera since Eocene. Interestingly, only subgenus Dasymolophilus is represented both in extinct and extant fauna while subgenus Tasiocera is not known from the fossil record. The new discovery is very significant, and the result of the study adds a brick to our understanding of the evolution of this group of insects and their habitat.

Baltic Amber in Hungarian Bronze Age. New data and current stage of research

Amber was one of the key raw materials distributed in Bronze Age Europe. One of its varieties – succinite – wasexchanged over a vast area stretching from its sources on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The chemical identification of Baltic amber significantly expands our knowledge of the dynamics and nature of the relationships connecting different regions of Europe in the first half of the second millennium BC. One of the most significant cultural-geographical areas reached by this amber was the Carpathian Basin. This text presents a summary of the current state of knowledge about the context, chronology, and the extent of amber occurrence in the Hungarian Bronze Age. At the same time, it supplements the catalogue of finds with artefacts acquired in recent years, providing new information regarding radiocarbon dating and spectral analysis of selected amber artifacts.

Diversity and morphology of Eocene and Oligocene Mordellidae (Coleoptera)

Characteristics of the locomotor apparatus (excluding wings) and other diagnostic features of Mordellidae preserved in Eocene Baltic and Rovno amber are investigated. Main features of Eocene Mordellidae are compared with those of their extant relatives using mainly light microscopy and micro-CT scans. The entire record of Eocene and Oligocene fossils of this family is reviewed, revealing a great number of discrepancies in diagnoses of species of Eocene and Oligocene Mordellidae at the generic level, which makes a reliable discussion of their biogeography and relationship with extant species impossible. To overcome this situation, four new collective group names (i.e., without a type species designation) are established: Baltimorda nov., Baltistena nov., Rovnostena nov., and Petrimordella nov. Seven new species of Mordellistenini from Baltic amber are described, diagnosed and illustrated: Baltistena ultima sp. nov., B. aurata sp. nov., B. longistrigata sp. nov., B. hoffeinsorum sp. nov., B. concava sp. nov., B. brevispina sp. nov., and B. atronigra sp. nov. The number of Mordellistenini recorded from Baltic amber is doubled from seven to fourteen. The subgenus Palaeostena Kubisz, 2003, with the type species Falsomordellistena eocenica Kubisz, 2003, is elevated to a genus.