Northern Myanmar Research Articles

New fossils in Cenomanian Burmese amber shed light on the high disparity of early Leptosaldinae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Leptopodidae)

The shore bug subfamily Leptosaldinae is relict with only one monospecific living genus, but it is well documented in the Cenozoic and Mesozoic of America and Eurasia. Based upon three well-preserved adult shore bugs trapped in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar, two new leptosaldine genera along with three new species (Parvilepta jinghuiae Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. et sp. nov., P. jingyuanae Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. et sp. nov., and Macrolepta chenchenae Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. et sp. nov.) are described in the present study. The new taxa reported herein plus other known Cretaceous leptosaldines display the combination of plesiomorphies and derived characteristics and the mixed features of Saldoidea: Saldidae and Leptopodoidea: Leptopodidae, confirming the view that Leptosaldinae represents one of basal groups of the infraorder Leptopodomorpha. In addition, our new genera and species show some unusual autapomorphies, such as the pronotal collar distinctly contractive (Parvilepta Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. nov.), the rostrum reaching to pygofer (Macrolepta Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. nov.), and the very large body size compared to most leptopodomorphans (Macrolepta Yu, Zhuo and Chen, gen. nov.). The high morphological disparity of Mesozoic Leptosaldinae reveals that early leptosaldine shore bugs diversified multi-dimensionally and so possibly had evolved to occupy a wider range of ecotypes compared to their Cenozoic descendants, who share relatively similar body size and habitus as well.

A new Cardiophorinae-like click-beetle from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

A new click-beetle, Cretocardiophorus laminatus gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved female specimen from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Two potential male specimens of this new species are also reported and illustrated. Cretocardiophorus gen. nov. may be related to the morden subfamily Cardiophorinae by its typical habitus, especially the heart-shaped scutellar shield. This new genus is also notable by the flat and slightly enlarged pedicel of antenna, the presence of styli in ovipositor, as well as the shape of aedeagus, which distinguish it from the modern Cardiophorinae. In addition, its leg has elongated tarsi covered with extremely long bristles, which is rare in Elateridae and similar to those beetles that inhabit sandy environments. This is the eighth Elateridae known from mid-Cretaceous of Northern Myanmar amber.

Remarkable diversity of the handsome fungus beetles genus Cretaparamecus (Coleoptera: Endomychidae: Merophysiinae) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar

The extent of the diversity of fossil handsome fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) is still poorly comprehended but in the recent years efforts have been made in their documentation. Recently, different taxa from mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar have been discovered and described. These represent the oldest known members of several subfamilies of Endomychidae or have been placed as incertae sedis within the family. The genus Cretaparamecus (Merophysiinae) was earlier described based on one species from Myanmar amber, C. tarsalis. Here we describe three new species from the same locality and geological horizon, C. angustus, C. crassipes and C. uncinus spp. nov. The genus is redescribed to incorporate the morphological variation observed in these species. The morphological and species diversity of the genus in mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar is discussed. In order to confirm the origin and age of the amber pieces studied, FT-IR spectra were obtained.

Where do we manage? Uncovering the hidden impact of human presence on mammal conservation in northern Myanmar

Species spatiotemporal responses to human presence and prioritizing conservation areas are essential for effective management and conservation planning. To address this information, we conducted a long-term large mammal survey in both protected areas (PAs) and outside of PAs (non-PA) in Northern Mountain Forest Complex (NMFC), Myanmar by using 174 camera traps from 2015 to 2019. We selected 14 common species for the single species occupancy model and activity pattern analysis to evaluate their spatiotemporal responses to different anthropogenic and environmental variables. Results showed that human presence did not have a significant impact on mammal occupancy, whereas at the community level, it had a significant influence on mammal abundance. Some variables, including distance to settlements, proximity to water sources and forest cover, shaped the habitat occupancy of mammals in NMFC. Regarding the temporal axis, only three out of 14 species had higher temporal activity overlap with humans, while the remaining species showed lower to medium overlap in both PAs and non-PA, confirming that most mammals avoided human presence through temporal rather than spatial scale. Moreover, our priority analysis revealed that non-PA supported a significant proportion of medium- to high-priority areas, particularly in the south-eastern part of NMFC. We concluded that preserving both PAs and non-PA are crucial and human activities have an implicit influence on large mammal conservation in NMFC. The government should prioritize the south-eastern region of outside of the current PAs network and adopt community-based conservation strategies to ensure the efficacy of PA networks and biodiversity conservation in NMFC.

Cavoperlidae, a new stonefly family (Insecta: Plecoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

A new genus and species of Plecoptera, Cavoperla excavata gen. et sp. nov., is described based on a male adult specimen preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. This stonefly is assigned to the superfamily Pteronarcyoidea, which can be determined by its wing venation and mouthpart morphology. However, it exhibits a distinct set of characteristics that differentiate it from all known extant and extinct families within Pteronarcyoidea. To accommodate this unique taxon, a new extinct family, Cavoperlidae fam. nov., is established. Cavoperlidae fam. nov. shows a close relationship to the extant family Styloperlidae. Diagnostic features of Cavoperlidae fam. nov. include the presence of three well-developed ocelli, the absence of a male abdominal hair brush and the trifurcate setae on the apex of the tibia, and the unarmed basal cercal segments.

Trapezioceps longelytrum, a new genus and species of soldier beetle (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

A new genus and species of the beetle family Cantharidae, Trapezioceps longelytrum gen. et sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. The new genus can be attributed to the subfamily Cantharinae and the tribe Cantharini based on its unmodified pronotal margins, well-developed elytra, the maxillary palpomeres different in length to the last securiform segment, tibial spurs present and symmetrical caudal segments. The new genus mainly differs from the other genera of Cantharini due to its trapezoidal head, serrate antennae, trapezoidal pronotum, and long elytra completely covering the abdomen.

New braconids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar

One new genus of Braconidae (subfamily incertae sedis), and one new species of the genus Tibialobracon van Achterberg & Chen, 2021 (Braconidae, Protobraconinae) are described from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar: Vertibracon gen. nov. (with type species Vertibracon brevistigma sp. nov.), and Tibialobracon laevis sp. nov. An update of the key to genera of Braconidae found in Cretaceous ambers is presented to include Vertibracon gen. nov.

Earliest fossil record of Eucradinae in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Ptinidae)

Earliest fossil record of Eucradinae in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Ptinidae)

First eupnoid harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones: Eupnoi) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, with notes on sexual dimorphism in Halitherses grimaldii (Arachnida: Opiliones: Dyspnoi)

The first eupnoid harvestmen (Opiliones: Eupnoi) are described from the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 99 Ma) Burmese amber (Kachin State, northern Myanmar). All four living suborders of Opiliones are now known from this amber source. Tyrannobunus aculeus gen. et sp. nov. preserves a unique combination of characters including spiny legs, large eyes in an anterior position and a relatively undifferentiated penis. These characters may be plesiomorphic for Eupnoi and are consistent with the hypothesis that the new species belongs to a relatively basal lineage within the suborder. Two more, probably immature, eupnoids are described and figured. They probably belong to the eupnoid family Phalangiidae, but are not formally named at this stage. Additionally, a new Burmese amber specimen is assigned here to Halitherses grimaldii (?) Giribet & Dunlop, 2005 (Dyspnoi: Halithersidae). It reveals for the first time a (male?) cheliceral apophysis and thus offers the first evidence for secondary sexual dimorphism in this extinct family.

New Hydrolyzable Tannin with Potent Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity from Black Tea Produced from Camellia taliensis.

Camellia taliensis (W. W. Smith) Melchior, belonging to the genus Camellia sect. Thea., is mainly distributed from northern Myanmar to western and southwestern Yunnan province of China, and its leaves have been used to make various teas by the locals of its growing regions. The chemical constituents of C. taliensis are significantly related to those of cultivated tea plants, C. sinensis and C. sinensis var. assamica. The HPLC-ESI-MS analysis of black tea prepared from the leaves of C. taliensis showed a rich existence of polyphenols. Further comprehensive chemical study led to the separation and recognition of 32 compounds (1-32), including one new hydrolyzable tannin, 1-O-galloyl-4,6-tetrahydroxydibenzofurandicarboxyl-β-D-glucopyranose (1), and one new natural product (24). The known compounds referred to seven hydrolyzable tannins (2-8), 10 flavonols and glycosides (9-18), and 14 simple phenolics (19-32). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Among them, 20 compounds (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 15, 17, 18, 20-22, 24-32) were isolated from black tea for the first time. Most isolates displayed obvious antioxidant activities on DPPH and ABTS+ assays, and the hydrolyzable tannins 1, 3-5, 7, and 8 exhibited stronger inhibitory activities on α-glycosidase than quercetin and acarbose (IC50 = 5.75 and 223.30 μM, respectively), with IC50 values ranging from 0.67 to 2.01 μM.

The smallest stag beetles (Coleoptera, Lucanidae): hidden paleodiversity in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar

The fossil record of stag beetles (Lucanidae), especially in Mesozoic amber, is sparse. Four additional fossil lucanids preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar are here reported. All of these species are included in the primitive subfamily Aesalinae, and have been identified as: Protonicagus mandibularissp. nov. (tribe Nicagini); Cretognathus minutissimusgen. et sp. nov. (tribe Ceratognathini); Ceratognathini gen. et sp. indet. 1 (provisional assignment); and Ceratognathini gen. et sp. indet. 2 (provisional assignment). Except for Protonicagus mandibularissp. nov., the stag beetles appear to be connected to the continent of Gondwana, as with the Kachin amber paleofauna. More interestingly, these species have significantly smaller bodies than the extant species, with three of them measuring less than 3 mm, which makes them the smallest known species of Lucanidae. This finding is congruent with a trend toward miniaturization in several unrelated lineages of Kachin amber beetles, and it shows hidden paleodiversity of stag beetles during the Cretaceous.

‘We don’t eat those bananas’: Chinese plantation expansions and bordering on Northern Myanmar’s Kachin borderlands

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, the Yunnan-Myanmar borderlands in Kachin State have become a major investment frontier for large-scale agribusiness. Chinese private capital, supported by state-led opium substitution programs, has turned thousands of hectares of forests into plantations. As in many such cases across Southeast Asia and beyond, this rapid development has come at the expense of local communities and displaced persons relying on these lands for their livelihoods and refuge. Caught between Chinese market expansion, and an ongoing war between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA), plantations have become sites of often overlooked confrontations, compromise, and conflict operating behind the more spectacular politics of the grand infrastructures like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in this region. Moving across plantation sites, armed bases and border markets; and building on interviews with Chinese entrepreneurs, Kachin leaders, and farmers, the paper explores how plantations have transformed not only environmental space but also social-political dynamics of Kachin State in ways, we argue, that are more difficult to reverse than previous or ongoing military territorialization. In doing so, we aim to localize and contextualize the plantation as a key force rapidly transforming Asian borderworlds, over which broader socio-political struggles, environmental transformations, nature loss, connectivity and developmental become imbricated with bordering space.

The earliest fossil record of the extant rove beetle genus Phloeocharis from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar and its biogeographic implications (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae)

Phloeocharis Mannerheim is the largest genus within the problematic rove beetle subfamily Phloeocharinae, with a single extinct and 44 recent species recorded from the Holarctic region. Until now, the oldest fossil record of Phloeocharis was known from Late Cretaceous (Turonian) amber from New Jersey, USA. Here we describe †Phloeocharis burmana n. sp. from mid-Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) Kachin amber from northern Myanmar, as the earliest extinct species of this genus. Our finding also sheds light on the biogeography of Phloeocharis, since no recent or extinct species have so far been recorded from the Oriental Region. Furthermore, the discovery of †P. burmana n. sp. extends the Mesozoic diversity of the phloeocharine rove beetles both taxonomically and morphologically, particularly from Kachin amber.

A new plesiomorphic species of webspinner (Embiodea, Clothodidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

A new Mesozoic webspinner (Embiodea) is described and figured based on a moderately well-preserved male in mid-Cretaceous (earliest Cenomanian) amber from northern Myanmar. Perissoclothoda myrrhokaris gen. et sp. nov. is the second fossil representative of the putatively primitive family Clothodidae. It differs from the Cretaceous and more recent Embiodea in several plesiomorphic characters, namely a quadrate mentum, approximately oval submentum, subgenae not meet medially (thus a ventral bridge or gula is lacking), completely symmetrical terminalia, and dimerous cerci. This new find sheds further light on the diversity and morphological disparity of fossil webspinners during the Late Mesozoic. www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:11A49D4A-4042-4AA3-858F-919E1A84B879.

A new species of Prosolierius rove beetle with highly modified antennae from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Solieriinae)

A new species of Prosolierius rove beetle with highly modified antennae from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Solieriinae)

A new peltoperlid stonefly from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae)

The eggs of insects are evolving diversely under developmental, morphological, and ecological pressures. Fossil eggs of insects can provide essential biological and evolutionary implications for the related insect groups. Peltoperlidae is a small stonefly family comprising 10 extant genera in two extant subfamilies and only two extinct genera in a fossil subfamily. The phylogenetic relationship between the three subfamilies of Peltoperlidae as well as the generic level phylogeny remain unclear. Herein, a new Cretaceous peltoperlid genus and species, Dewaltoperla edwardi gen. et sp. nov., is reported in Kachin amber from northern Myanmar (98.79 ± 0.62 Ma). The discovery presents the third fossil stonefly of Peltoperlidae, and more importantly, the first fossil eggs for the family. Dewaltoperla is assigned to the extinct subfamily Borisoperlinae and can be distinguished from other fossil peltoperlids by wing venation. The morphological phylogenetic analysis was conducted for all peltoperlid genera for the first time, which identifies Borisoperlinae as a basal group within Peltoperlidae and suggests an evolutionary trend of the egg shape transition from flattened to spherical ones.

An unexpected diversity of Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida: Opiliones) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber.

Ten new Cyphophthalmi specimens (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Cenomanian) Burmese amber of northern Myanmar are described. Seven of these are placed in Stylocellidae, the predominant extant family found today in Southeast Asia. Sirocellus iunctus gen. et sp. nov. represents the first fossil with a combination of sironid and stylocellid characters, suggesting a still ongoing transition in some lineages during the Upper Cretaceous. Mesopsalis oblongus gen. et sp. nov. represents a second fossil with elongated ozophores, a character not known from modern species. Leptopsalis breyeri sp. nov. is the first Cretaceous cyphophthalmid assignable to an extant genus. The species Foveacorpus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov. and F. parvus gen. et sp. nov., which cannot be placed in an extant family, show morphological novelties for Cyphophthalmi such as numerous pits covering the whole body. The possible function of these pits is discussed. Three more adult males with unique adenostyles and two juveniles are not formally named but further indicate an already highly diverse cyphophthalmid fauna during the Cretaceous. The total number of named Burmese amber Cyphophthalmi species is raised from one to six, and the total fossil record for this suborder now stands at eight.

First mid-Cretaceous nogodinid planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from Kachin amber with an extant relative from the Neotropics

The earliest fossil record of nogodinid planthopper is reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. A new subfamily, Hesticinae subfam. nov., with two new tribes, Hesticini trib. nov. and Nolectrini trib. nov., are erected in the family Nogodinidae to accommodate the Neotropical genus Hesticus and mid-Cretaceous genus Nolectra gen. nov., with a type species, Nolectragengshuyuanae sp. nov., described from Kachin amber. Hesticus rufimanus, an extant relative, is redescribed and illustrated including male and female terminalia and recorded for the first time from Suriname and French Guiana. The systematic position of Hesticinae subfam. nov. is discussed and it is suggested as the most primitive group of the Nogodinidae. More fossils are needed to understand the early evolution and distribution of the Nogodinidae during the Cretaceous.

Distribution modeling for predicting habitat suitability for citron (Citrus medica L.) under climate change scenarios

Citron (Citrus medica) is one of the major citrus fruits of commerce. It is cultivated mostly in the warm temperate Mediterranean coastal region, and in the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia. It also grows naturally in northeast India, Myanmar, and Yunnan (China). Citron populations are declining in their natural habitats due to forest degradation and change in land use patterns. To predict the habitat suitability for citron, we evaluated four widely used species distribution models (SDMs), namely Generalized Linear Models (GLM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) in ‘sdm’ package. Based on Area under ROC Curve (AUC; >0.97) and True Skill Statistics (TSS; >0.9) of all four models, an ensemble modeling was carried out using 111 geo-referenced datasets and 19 bioclimatic and three topographic variables under three climate change scenarios (current, 2050 and 2070). Precipitation of warmest quarter (bio18, 69.6%), elevation (11.1%), mean temperature of wettest quarter (bio8, 10.6%), and temperature seasonality (bio4, 10.1%) were the most important environmental variables for determining the distribution of citron in the study area. Potentially suitable habitat for citron was predicted to occur from 12 – 29 °N to 79 – 108 °E. The total suitable habitat covers about 875,868 km2, including 195,846 km2, 274,386 km2, and 405,636 km2, representing high, moderate, and least suitable areas, respectively. Increase in habitat suitability was predicted for 2050 and 2070 under four representative concentration pathways (RCPs), i. e., RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5. This study predicted that northeast India and northern Myanmar would remain moderately or highly suitable for citron.

A new family of grylloblattids (Insecta: Grylloblattida) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

The new grylloblattid family Aristoviidae Storozhenko & Gröhn fam. nov., with the type genus and species Aristovia daniili Storozhenko & Gröhn gen. et sp. nov., is described from the lowermost Cenomanian amber (Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, northern Myanmar). The new family is similar to the Permian-Triassic family Megakhosaridae and the Permian-Jurassic Blattogryllidae but differs from both by the shape of pronotum and wing venation. Aristoviidae fam. nov. is also similar to the extant family Grylloblattidae in body structure, but can easily be distinguished from it by the presence of ocelli, large compound eyes and wings, as well as the lack of the transverse furrow which separates the anterior part of pronotum from its posterior part. The phylogenetic relationships between families Megakhosaridae, Blattogryllidae, Grylloblattidae, and a new family are briefly discussed.