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Issue: Vol. 77 No. 1: 31 Dec. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-12-31
DOI: 10.12976/jib/2025.77.1.6
Page range: 28-35
Abstract views: 80
PDF downloaded: 37

Cretaceous beetles of the Jinju Formation: Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the Early Cretaceous of South Korea

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Department of Science Education, Gongju National University of Education, 27 Ungjinro, Gongjusi, Chungcheongnamdo, Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea Early Cretaceous Jinju Formation Coleoptera Elateridae

Abstract

The Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation of South Korea has recently emerged as an important Konservat-Lagerstätte for Mesozoic insects, yielding exceptionally preserved beetles. These discoveries provide new insights into the morphological evolution and biogeographic history of Mesozoic beetles. Here, we describe a new click beetle, Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov., from the Jinju Formation, South Korea. Cryptocoelus minimus sp. nov. is characterized by a rounded anterior margin of the frons, a distinct antennal morphology compared to other species of Cryptocoelus, and different proportions of pronotum length to carina length and elytral length to width ratio. This find represents the third fossil species of Elateridae from the Jinju Formation and constitutes the youngest fossil record of the genus Cryptocoelus.

 

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