Rows Of Punctures Research Articles

Cubanthonomus, a new genus of Anthonomini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) from Cuba.

Cubanthonomus Anderson, new genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Anthonomini) is here described to accommodate the Cuban species Cleogonus grossulus Suffrian, which was previously placed as incertae sedis within Cleogonini. The genus is characterized by head constricted behind the eyes, globose form, compact antennal funicle of seven antennomeres, base of pronotum strongly produced posteriorly at middle, elytra with rows of punctures (striae effaced), tarsal claws with small basal tooth, profemora with two teeth, meso- and metafemora with single small tooth. Specimens have been collected in tropical semideciduous forest but no host associations are known.

New material of shore bug subfamily Leptosaldinae in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar (Heteroptera, Leptopodomorpha)

The shore bug subfamily Leptosaldinae is a relict insect group with only one living species recorded in Ecuador and Colombia, but its palaeo-diversity is relatively high, especially in upper Mesozoic amber biotae. Herein, on the basis of an adult shore bug fossil trapped in a mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber piece from northern Myanmar, we describe a new genus and species Cretaleptus popovi gen. et sp. nov., attributed to Leptosaldinae. The new taxon differs from all known living and extinct leptosaldines by possessing a series of unique morphological traits: the head greatly porrect, antennae densely covered with short and slender setae but very long setae absent, with segment II slightly shorter than III and the latter slightly shorter than IV, the pro- and mesonotum tinged with longitudinal stripe in midline, hemelytra darkly pigmented with two distinct light stripes and two speckles, the corium and clavus with three rows of punctures respectively, and membrane with four closed cells. In this study, a key to all leptosaldine genera is also provided. Our find further confirms that this enigmatic leptopodomorph lineage was likely abundant and with high diversity in the late Mesozoic.

A fossil tanaidacean crustacean from the Middle Jurassic of southern Germany

A three-dimensionally preserved fossil tanaidacean is reported from the Middle Jurassic of Southern Germany. The fossil is a fragment of the posterior region of the body. Many morphological details are visible, such as rows of punctures indicating the presence and distribution of setae. A principal component analysis based on measured ratios on the fossil was performed to evaluate the position of the fossil in the morphospace of various malacostracan groups. The analysis could substantiate the interpretation of the fossil as a tanaidacean remain. We furthermore discuss the fossil in comparison to the already known fossil record of tanaidaceans.

The most mysterious beetles: Jurassic Jurodidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from China

Jurodidae are thought to be some of the world's most mysterious beetles and display an intriguing mixture of characters occurring in three different suborders. Hitherto, all known fossil and extant Jurodidae were extremely rare and restricted to Russian Siberia and the Far East. Here we describe two new species, Jurodes daohugouensis sp. nov. and Jurodes pygmaeus sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, China. A key to all species of Jurodidae and their research history are given, and the detailed morphology of fossil Jurodidae is also presented. Our results confirm the presence of three ocelli in fossil Jurodidae, and reveal that hind wings of J. pygmaeus sp. nov. possess well developed radial and oblong cells, and are very similar to those of extant Jurodidae (Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae). Male genitalia of fossil Jurodidae were described herein for the first time, showing a basal trilobate structure. The presence of exposed propleuron, three pairs of external trochantins, metanepisterna with ridges, primitive characters of wing venation further support the probable placement of Jurodidae in the suborder Archostemata. J. daohugouensis and J. pygmaeus are very similar to S. zhiltzovae in having the big protruding eyes, elevated median portion of frons bearing three ocelli, pubescent body, contiguous procoxae, exposed trachantion of all coxae, elytra with rows of punctures, and wing venation. Our results show that these key characters of extant Jurodidae can be traced back to the Middle Jurassic, revealing that the family has been in a period of evolutionary stasis for at least 160million years. Furthermore, our discoveries widen the paleogeographic distribution of fossil Jurodidae from Russian Siberia to northern China.

Kakadudessus tomweiri, a new genus and species of diving beetle from tropical northern Australia, based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological data (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Bidessini)

The diving beetle genus and species, Kakadudessus tomweiri gen.n., sp.n. are described from the Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park, headwaters of Mary River) and north-eastern Queensland (Cape York Peninsula) of Australia. The new species has an elongate, almost flat habitus and elytra with pale yellowish markings. The head has a cervical line between the hindmargin of the eyes and the clypeus is anteriorly bordered. Pronotum and elytra have well developed striae, the latter without sutural lines and accessory striae. The posterior part of the basal cavity of epipleura has no transverse carina, the fairly elongate and narrow prosternal process reaches the metaventrite. The latter is provided with rows of punctures at its midline and the metacoxal lines are longer than the distance between them and strongly diverging anteriorly. The parameres are bi-segmented, very thin, slender and elongate, and slightly bifid apically. The combination of all these characters separates the new species and, thus, also the new genus from all other Bidessini. Morphologically, Kakadudessus resembles species of Leiodytes Guignot, 1936, Limbodessus Guignot, 1939 and Uvarus Guignot, 1939, the parameres resemble those of species of Allodessus Guignot, 1953. DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I (cox1) and the large ribosomal subunit (16S rRNA), however, suggest that Kakadudessus does not belong to any of the known Oriental and Australasian Bidessini genera. Most importantly, recognition of Kakadudessus does not create paraphyly. All specimens were collected in small pools of shaded and intermittent streams and rivers with sandy or gravely bottom and without any vegetation.

A Record of an External Egg Parasite from Trinidad, B.W.I.

Wilted stems of Eupatorium odoratum L., (Compositae) in Trinidad were found to contain an egg or lama of a Curculionid. Each egg was deposited in a slit between two rows of punctures encircling the stem. This girdling made by the ovipositing female was obviously the cause of the wilting. Larvae hatching from the eggs fed for a few days ih the wilted portion of the stem and then tunnelled into the sound tissue below the punctures completing development a month later, and pupating in the stem near the base of the plant. The adults, which emerged ten days later, were identified as Rhodobaenus sp. nr. cariniventris by Mr. R. E. Warner of the U.S. National Museum.