Pronotal Disc Research Articles

Study of Chinese Anostostomatidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera) XI: One new species Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) from Tianlin, Guangxi

Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) brevistria sp. nov. is described and illustrated for the first time and can be identified by the longitudinal yellowish brown stripe on the pronotal disc and the morphology of the male subgenital plate which bears roughly a V-shaped concavity. All the specimens are deposited in Guangxi Normal University.

First report of adult †Burmecaelidae with description of a new species from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Orthoptera: Caelifera)

An adult male of †Burmecaelinus armis Uchida, Husemann and Kotthoff, 2023, and a newly identified genus and species †Moban zhengzheminigen. et sp. nov., are reported based on two well preserved adult specimens from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. †M. zhengzheminigen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished by following characters: body with irregular small dark spots; pronotum is in uniform width, with dispersed shallow dents and two distinct transverse sulci, posterior angle is protruding forward; posterior thoracic process is shark-tooth shaped; pronotal disc without four longitudinal carinae; tip of apical spurs on metatibia not curved. The morphological diagnosis of the family †Burmecaelidae was emended, and the posterior thoracic process of adult †Burmecaelidae species is possibly specialized scutellum. We proposed a hypothesis that this extinct family was a sister group of Tridactyloidea and species of †Burmecaelidae lived in humid environment near water and had affinity for wet and semi-aquatic habitats.

NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS CARPELIMUS LEACH, 1819 FROM INDIA (COLEOPTERA: STAPHILINIDAE: OXYTELINAE)

A new species Carpelimus (Trogophloeus) mumbaiensis sp. n. is described and illustrated from India. The new species belongs to the ‘notumus’ species group, which is recorded for India for the first time. By the punctation of the head and elytra, weakly developed depressions on the pronotal disc, the new species is most similar to C. irianensis Gildenkov, 2020 from New Guinea. Reliably differs from it and all species of the ‘notumus’ species group in the structure of the aedeagus.

A new genus of Phlugidini (Insecta, Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Meconematinae) from the Atlantic Forest.

In the Neotropical Region, Phlugidini is the most diverse tribe of Meconematinae, with 62 valid species in 10 genera, six of them recorded from Brazil. Brachyphlugis gen. nov. is described herein based on two new species, Brachyphlugis longicercalis sp. nov. (type species) and Brachyphlugis curvata sp. nov., collected in Parque Nacional do Itatiaia and Reserva Biológica do Tinguá, both in the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro State. The new genus is most similar to Neophlugis, but it can be distinguished from the latter and other neotropical Phlugidini by the following combination of characteristics: (1) mandibles symmetrical; (2) tegmen extending beyond metanotum; (3) pronotal disk posterior margin convex; (4) tenth tergite strongly projected and downcurved; (5) male cercus pronounced with a larger base and acuminate apex; (6) paraproct modified with developed spine; (7) male subgenital plate with two distolateral projections connected to a pair of styles; and (8) female subgenital plate wider than long, posterior margin with two projections. An up-to-date key to neotropical Phlugidini genera is also provided.

<i>Elytroatra</i> Daccordi, status novus, e descrizione di <i>E. caroli</i>, species nova, di Bolivia con brevi note su alcuni generi di Chrysomelinae Doryphorini neotropicali ad esso affini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Elytroatra Daccordi, status novus, and description of E. caroli, species nova, from Bolivia with brief notes on some related neotropical genera of Chrysomelinae Doryphorini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Elytroatra Daccordi 2008 is raised to genus level from its original status as subgenus of Proseicela Chevrolat 1836. The new status is proposed in consideration of the wide clypeus, almost smooth, the supra-orbital area strongly raised, with the eyes placed at its vertex so that the head appears notably transversally widened, absence of metathoracic wings, elytral shape elongate with a narrow apical angle (nearly 60°), for the presence of a wide, continuous, bulgy elytral lateral callus, narrow and elongated femora and particularly narrow and elongated tibiae. Type species of the genus is Elytrosphaera melas Jolivet 1950. Elytroatra caroli sp. n. is here described from the same biogeographic region of the Bolivian Yungas. and is the second known species of the genus. Elytroatra caroli sp. n. can be separated at first glance from its relative E. melas for its thoroughly shining black coloration, absence of two symmetrical pores at sides of pronotal disc, the shape of aedeagus with the apex narrower and elongated and shorter and less arcuate tegmen. [Article in Italian]

Four new species of the genera Dryophthoroides Roelofs, 1879 and Nephius Pascoe, 1885 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from Oriental and Papuan Regions

Four new species of the genera Dryophthoroides Roelofs, 1879 and Nephius Pascoe, 1885 from the tribe Stromboscerini of the subfamily Dryophthorinae are described and illustrated. Dryophthoroides telnovi Legalov, sp. nov. from New Guinea (Star Mountains) is similar to D. seftoni (Zimmermann, 1944) bit differs in the shorter and thicker rostrum and narrower pronotum. It is distinguish from D. beccarii (Pascoe, 1885) in the smaller body size, thicker rostrum, coarser punctured pronotum, not subparallel elytra and narrower elytral interstriae. Dryophthoroides insularis Legalov, sp. nov. from North Moluccas (Bacan Islands) differs from D. telnovi Legalov, sp. nov. in the wider, laterally weakly rounded pronotum with a more finely punctured pronotal disc, the stronger widened interstria five at apex, the smaller punctures in elytral striae, the wider elytral interstriae and the longer and thinner rostrum. Nephius continentalis Legalov, sp. nov. from Laos (Hua Phan Prov.) differs from N. kalimantanensis Legalov, 2022 in the thicker and shorter rostrum, the pronotum lacking the sharp preapical constriction, the elytra with the greatest width postmedium, the medially not depressed lateral sides of the pronotum, and the obsolete humeri. Nephius philippinensis Legalov, sp. nov. from the Philippines (Mindanao Is., Bukidnon Prov.) differs from N. mindanaoensis Legalov, 2020 in the sparsely punctate pronotum with a median longitudinal groove and lacking four premedian pilose ridges, the elytral interstriae with weak pilose ridges, and the less curved rostrum.

The First Fossil of Nossidiinae From Mid-Cretaceous Amber of Northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae)

Ptiliidae is a group of distinctly miniaturized staphylinoid beetles with a scarce fossil record. Here, we report a new ptiliid genus and species, Crenossidium slipinskii Li, Newton and Cai gen. et sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Crenossidium can be attributed to the subfamily Nossidiinae based on the hind wing morphology, which has also been confirmed through phylogenetic analyses. Crenossidium differs from other extant nossidiine genera in the combination of the wide apical maxillary palpomeres, posteriorly widest pronotal disk, (almost) contiguous procoxae, fewer setae along wing margin, and multidentate pygidium.urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8038D763-6856-4AC5-972C-E20D636137EE.

Yakutia sukachevae gen. et sp. nov. (Mordellidae), the first fossil Coleoptera from Upper Cretaceous amber of Yakutia, eastern Russia

Cretaceous amber faunas of North Asia are well-known from Taymyr, but the Santonian floras of Taymyr are virtually unstudied. Conversely, the Cenomanian floras of Yakutia are well-studied, but the amber fauna of Yakutia remains unknown. Yakutia sukachevae gen. et sp. nov. is described from Cenomanian (∼95 Ma) retinite from Yakutia (Russia). The specimen is one of the oldest known mordellid fossil in amber, and the first recorded from Yakutian amber. The taxon appears “less mordellid-like” than all other known fossil Mordellidae, primarily due to the slightly dorsally compressed habitus, the less strongly developed, distinctly transverse coxal plate, and the slightly serrate, tetratomid-like antennae. Yakutia sukachevae is assigned to Mordellidae primarily based on the presence of the proepisternal suture separating the pronotal disc and proepisterna, the hemispherical head, the expanded coxal plate and the obliquely truncated hind tibiae.

A New Species of Vetubrachypsectra from Mid-Cretaceous Amber of Northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Brachypsectridae).

Simple SummaryBrachypsectridae is a small family in the superfamily Elateroidea, with only two extant and two extinct genera known based on adults. Here, we figure and describe a new brachypsectrid species from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar, based on an exceptionally well-preserved female specimen. Although sexual dimorphism is common in Brachypsectridae, this specimen is recognized as a new species, rather than a female of the previously reported V. burmitica, primarily based on its different pedicel–scape attachment.A new species, Vetubrachypsectra huchengi Li, Kundrata & Cai sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber on the basis of a single adult female. The species is assigned to genus Vetubrachypsectra Qu & Cai based on its serrate antennae, long maxillary palps, presence of tibial spurs, and elytra without clear striae. Vetubrachypsectra huchengi differs distinctly from V. burmitica Qu & Cai, the only other species in the genus, in having the pedicel apically attached to the scape. Some other differences between the female of V. huchengi and the male of V. burmitica include less serrate antennae, a broader pronotal disc, a broader scutellar shield and smaller tibial spurs. However, at least some of these characters can be considered sexually dimorphic.

The first fossilized comb-clawed beetle of the genus Asiomira Dubrovina, 1973 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae) from Baltic Amber and notes on the distribution of extant species of the genus.

A new species of comb-clawed beetles of the genus Asiomira Dubrovina, 1973 (A. dubrovinae sp. n.) is described from the Eocene Baltic amber. This newly descovered fossil species displays typical generic characters and is the most similar to the extant Asiomira ophtalmica (Seidlitz, 1896). Both species share a similar shape of the pronotum and the flattened posterior angles of the pronotal disc. Asiomira dubrovinae sp. n. can be distinguished from A. ophtalmica by the smaller body size (4.8 mm in contrast to 68.12 mm), more serrate antennomeres, and finer and sparser pronotal punctation. Extant species of the genus are distributed in the arid landscapes of Central Asia with the highest diversity occurring in Tajikistan. Therefore the discovery of a new fossil species from Eocene Baltic amber suggests that Asiomira could have a wider range, and the modern distribution of this group is the result of a later secondary expansion of the ancestral representatives that survived in mid-mountain areas with arboreal and shrub vegetation. Relevant corrections to the distribution of extant species, Asiomira ophtalmica (Seidlitz, 1896) and Asiomira firjusana (Dubrovina, 1973), are given.

Description of fifteen new species of the Hypoxys balteatus species group (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Hypoxys Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae), for a long time considered a synonym or subgenus of Edessa Fabricius, 1803, was recently revised and reinstated to the generic rank. This genus comprises 17 described species divided in four species groups: H. quadridens, H. oxyacanthus, H. triangularis, and H. balteatus species group. Also, there is a large number of new species yet to be described. The H. balteatus species group is diagnosed by: pronotum with posterior stripe smoky brown to black with black punctures within, sometimes these punctures are surrounded by small dark spots; punctures of the pronotal disc smaller and paler than those of the posterior stripe; anterolateral margin of pronotum yellow; anterior half of scutellum with punctures large, sparse, and also on dark spots; connexivum uniformly green, without dark spots; thorax ventrally with two pairs of brown to black rounded spots; apex of pseudosutures with black to brown round spots. This species group included so far only H. balteatus (Walker, 1868). Here we describe and assign 15 new species to this group: H. amyoti sp. nov. (Suriname: Powakka; French Guiana), H. aspilogaster sp. nov. (Brazil: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro), H. belenensis sp. nov. (Brazil: Pará), H. bergrothi sp. nov. (Venezuela: Amazonas; French Guiana: Saint-Elie), H. breddini sp. nov. (Bolivia: Santa Cruz and San Carlos), H. caquetensis sp. nov. (Colombia: Caquetá), H. favachae sp. nov. (Suriname: Sipaliwini; Brazil: Amapá and Pará), H. gaucho sp. nov. (Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul), H. hyalinofasciatus sp. nov. (Ecuador: Sucumbíos), H. immaculatus sp. nov. (Bolivia: Beni), H. nigroantennatus sp. nov. (French Guiana: Roura), H. santarensis sp. nov. (Brazil: Pará), H. servillei sp. nov. (Brazil: Mato Grosso and Goiás), H. stysi sp. nov. (Suriname: Coronie, Sipaliwini; French Guiana: Cayenne), and H. venustus sp. nov. (Bolivia: Cochabamba). Descriptions, measurements, photos of dorsal and ventral view of each species, and of external genitalia of both sexes, an identification key, and distributional maps are presented.

New species of Paraodontomma from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber with muscle tissue preservation (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae)

The third member of the extinct ommatid genus Paraodontomma is reported from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Our observation confirms the transverse ridges on elytra as a diagnostic character for the genus. Paraodontomma leptocristatum sp. nov. differs from previously reported congeners mainly in head subquadrate and without prominent protuberances, pronotal disc without prominent ridges, elytral ridges indistinct, and teeth along elytral margins not forming a wavy pattern. Musculature is preserved in the newly discovered specimen of P. leptocristatum, which further demonstrates the preservation potential and irreplaceable value of amber fossils.

Murcybolus gen. nov., a new net-winged beetle genus from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Lycidae: Burmolycini).

A new lycid beetle, Murcybolus longiantennus gen. et sp. nov., is reported from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma). Murcybolus is placed in the recently erected fossil tribe Burmolycini based on the fully metamorphosed female, 10-segmented antennae, and pronotal disc with deep rounded punctures but without carinae. Murcybolus differs from the other genus in Burmolycini, Burmolycus, by its antennal morphology and elytral venation.

The first representative of the beetle family Chelonariidae in Dominican amber

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.

A New Genus of Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar Amber

Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) are a highly diverse and successful group that due to their chirping are often heard more often than they are seen. Their omnivorous diet allows them to exist in a variety of terrestrial habitats around the world. In some environments, cricket populations can build up and become plagues, resulting in significant damage to seedling crops. A new genus and species of cricket, Pherodactylus micromorphus gen. et sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. The new genus is characterized by the following features: head without prominent bristles, pronotum longer than wide, middle of pronotal disk with two distinct large dark “eyespots”, fore leg robust and 3 apical spurs arranged on inner side of fore leg tibia. Shed portions of a lizard skin adjacent to the specimen reveal possible evidence of attempted predation.

A New Genus of Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar Amber

Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) are a highly diverse and successful group that due to their chirping are often heard more often than they are seen. Their omnivorous diet allows them to exist in a variety of terrestrial habitats around the world. In some environments, cricket populations can build up and become plagues, resulting in significant damage to seedling crops. A new genus and species of cricket, Pherodactylus micromorphus gen. et sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. The new genus is characterized by the following features: head without prominent bristles, pronotum longer than wide, middle of pronotal disk with two distinct large dark “eyespots”, fore leg robust and 3 apical spurs arranged on inner side of fore leg tibia. Shed portions of a lizard skin adjacent to the specimen reveal possible evidence of attempted predation.

A new species of Passandra Dalman (Coleoptera: Passandridae) from the Philippines and Borneo.

Passandra barsevskisi sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Passandridae) is described and illustrated from Borneo and the Philippines. The new species can be distinguished from all known species of Passandra by the following combination of features: head, pronotum and elytra black; antennomeres 3-10 with narrow groove ventrally, male antennae robust with antennomeres 4-10 swollen; admedian grooves of head deep, long, almost straight, slightly diverging anteriorly; median process of head well developed and reaching occipital groove; pronotal disc with two deep and long admedian grooves; pronotal sublateral lines entire, widely separated anteriorly; submarginal basal groove deeply and narrowly emarginate medially in male, notched in female; each elytron with lines I and VI complete, lines II and V incomplete; and median lobe of aedeagus with triangular apical portion and rounded apex.

Patterns of coevolution between ambrosia beetle mycangia and the Ceratocystidaceae, with five new fungal genera and seven new species.

Ambrosia beetles farm specialised fungi in sapwood tunnels and use pocket-like organs called mycangia to carry propagules of the fungal cultivars. Ambrosia fungi selectively grow in mycangia, which is central to the symbiosis, but the history of coevolution between fungal cultivars and mycangia is poorly understood. The fungal family Ceratocystidaceae previously included three ambrosial genera (Ambrosiella, Meredithiella, and Phialophoropsis), each farmed by one of three distantly related tribes of ambrosia beetles with unique and relatively large mycangium types. Studies on the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary histories of these three genera were expanded with the previously unstudied ambrosia fungi associated with a fourth mycangium type, that of the tribe Scolytoplatypodini. Using ITS rDNA barcoding and a concatenated dataset of six loci (28S rDNA, 18S rDNA, tef1-α, tub, mcm7, and rpl1), a comprehensive phylogeny of the family Ceratocystidaceae was developed, including Inodoromyces interjectus gen. & sp. nov., a non-ambrosial species that is closely related to the family. Three minor morphological variants of the pronotal disk mycangium of the Scolytoplatypodini were associated with ambrosia fungi in three respective clades of Ceratocystidaceae: Wolfgangiella gen. nov., Toshionella gen. nov., and Ambrosiella remansi sp. nov. Closely-related species that are not symbionts of ambrosia beetles are accommodated by Catunica adiposa gen. & comb. nov. and Solaloca norvegica gen. & comb. nov. The divergent morphology of the ambrosial genera and their phylogenetic placement among non-ambrosial genera suggest three domestication events in the Ceratocystidaceae. Estimated divergence dates for the ambrosia fungi and mycangia suggest that Scolytoplatypodini mycangia may have been the first to acquire Ceratocystidaceae symbionts and other ambrosial fungal genera emerged shortly after the evolution of new mycangium types. There is no evidence of reversion to a non-ambrosial lifestyle in the mycangial symbionts.

Cryphalus eriobotryae sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), a New Insect Pest of Loquat Eriobotrya japonica in China.

A previously unknown bark beetle species, Cryphalus eriobotryae sp. nov. Johnson, 2019 has emerged as a lethal pest of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) in China. The description of new species has been provided. The new species is distinguished from the other Cryphalus by the weakly aciculate frons, by the antennae, with unevenly spaced procurved sutures, by the short pronotal disc, with hair-like setae, and by the widely spaced mesocoxae. The survey of plantation records from around Suzhou suggests that this beetle was introduced from another area not long before 2017. In the surveyed loquat plantation in 2018, 20–90% of trees showed signs of infestation, and 5% were killed in 2018, resulting in the death of over 1000 trees. Outbreaks of the apparently loquat-specific Cryphalus eriobotryae can be diagnosed by hundreds of cankers on the trunk, and wilted foliage. This pest is of concern as a loquat plantation pest and as a pest of fruit production and ornamental trees within Suzhou, and globally.

Pangusyndicus gen. nov.: a new mid-Cretaceous scydmaenine with reduced antennae and prothoracic gland (Coleoptera, Staphylindiae: Scydmaeninae)

The ant-like stone beetle tribe Glandulariini harbours approximately 3700 species, representing more than 70% of the extant diversity of the subfamily Scydmaeninae. Fossil records of this large tribe are rare, and are mostly confined to Eocene to Miocene amber, whereas only four genera were known from Mesozoic deposits. Here we report a new Mesozoic taxon, Pangusyndicus excavatus Yin, Zhou & Cai gen. et sp. nov., from Cenomanian Burmese amber. For the first time the ventral cephalic structures of an extinct Glandulariini are observable, a character system usually difficult to discern, especially in fossil scydmaenines. Pangusyndicus clearly lacks lateral sulci on the submentum, a critical character state that justifies the placement of Pangusyndicus in one of the two assumedly ‘natural groups’ of Glandulariini. Pangusyndicus displays strongly reduced antennomeres XI, similar to those found only in the extant Australo-Oriental genus Syndicus Motschulsky. To test the phylogenetic position of Pangusyndicus, cladistic analyses were performed based on morphological data. Both parsimonious and maximum likelihood cladograms recovered a close relationship between Pangusyndicus, Syndicus and Loeblites Franz, indicating the unique reduction of apical antennomeres in this group may have originated once, and by the mid-Cretaceous at the latest. More strikingly, Pangusyndicus possesses a large cavity on the mediobasal surface of the pronotal disc, a feature previously unknown among all scydmaenines. We interpret this as a specialized glandular structure, although its function remains uncertain. The presence of such a cavity in Pangusyndicus represents the earliest known presumably glandular structure in Staphylinidae. Moreover, Pangusyndicus and several recently described mid-Cretaceous scydmaenines belonging to various tribes exhibit notably longer legs than their extant relatives, indicating shifts in habitat and prey preferences may have occurred during the evolution of these groups.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:11529A5C-DAF3-4AD9-A074-10E937CE75CF