An early and mysterious histerid inquiline from Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera, Histeridae)
نویسندگان
چکیده
We describe a new genus and species of Histeridae from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber, Amplectister tenax Caterino & Maddison, gen. & sp. n. This species represents the third known Cretaceous histerid, which, like the others, is highly distinct and cannot easily be placed to subfamily. It exhibits prosternal characters in common with Saprininae, but other characters appear inconsistent with this possibility. The abdominal venter is strongly concave, and the hind legs are enlarged and modified for grasping. We hypothesize that this represents the earliest example in Histeridae of modifications for phoresy on social insects.
منابع مشابه
Cretonthophilus tuberculatus, a remarkable new genus and species of hister beetle (Coleoptera: Histeridae) from Cretaceous Burmese amber.
The early history of the beetle family Histeridae is still very obscure. In part this results from difficulty resolving phylogenetic relationships at deeper levels (Caterino & Vogler, 2002; McKenna et al., 2015a). But it is also partly a result of a sparse and poorly documented fossil record (Chatzimanolis et al., 2006). Here we describe a new genus and species of fossil histerid from Burmese a...
متن کاملA new stem bythinine in Cretaceous Burmese amber and early evolution of specialized predatory behaviour in pselaphine rove beetles \(Coleoptera: Staphylinidae\)
A new stem bythinine in Cretaceous Burmese amber and early evolution of specialized predatory behaviour in pselaphine rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Zi-Wei Yin, Joseph Parker, Chen-Yang Cai, Di-Ying Huang & Li-Zhen Li To cite this article: Zi-Wei Yin, Joseph Parker, Chen-Yang Cai, Di-Ying Huang & Li-Zhen Li (2017): A new stem bythinine in Cretaceous Burmese amber and early evolution o...
متن کاملCretaceous origin of the unique prey-capture apparatus in mega-diverse genus: stem lineage of Steninae rove beetles discovered in Burmese amber
Stenus is the largest genus of rove beetles and the second largest among animals. Its evolutionary success was associated with the adhesive labial prey-capture apparatus, a unique apomorphy of that genus. Definite Stenus with prey-capture apparatus are known from the Cenozoic fossils, while the age and early evolution of Steninae was hardly ever hypothesized. Our study of several Cretaceous Bur...
متن کاملA fossil bee from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber.
The bee fossil record is fragmentary, making it difficult to accurately estimate the antiquity of bee-mediated pollination. Here, we describe a bee fossil [Melittosphex burmensis (new species), Melittosphecidae (new family)] from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber (approximately 100 million years before the present). The fossil provides insights into the morphology of the earliest bees and provides...
متن کاملRedescription of the enigmatic neotropical inquiline Paramyrmetes foveipennis Bruch, 1929 with notes on myrmecophily (Coleoptera, Histeridae) in the Saprininae subfamily
The poorly-known and highly autapomorphic myrmecophilous Neotropical taxon Paramyrmetes foveipennis Bruch, 1929 is redescribed, figured and its lectotype designated. Notes on the evolution of the inquilinous lifestyle (myrmecophily) in the subfamily Saprininae are given.
متن کامل