Palaeoentomology

Archaic sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) as Cretaceous pollinators

DAVID PERIS — 2024-10-30

Kateretidae have been considered a family of generalist (as a whole) fossil pollinator beetles after the description of many fossil species in this taxon from the Upper Cretaceous Kachin amber together with pollen grains from their host plant. But the placement of this group of fossils in Kateretidae remained tentative because some definite characters to be observed in the fossils (e.g., maxillae and genitalia) were almost inaccessible by conventional methods. A recent paper proposed to include most of these fossil “kateretid” genera and species in the newly erected family Apophisandridae among Cucujoidea. The description of the two new genera and species Diopsiretes corniger gen. et sp. nov. and Cornuturetes elaphus gen. et sp. nov. from the same deposit, and the use of synchrotron light to describe the first cited species, combined with the examination of new photographic material of the type of Apophisandra ammytae, allowed us to better define this peculiar group of fossils. We attempt to demonstrate their placement in an extinct basal subfamily in Nitidulidae (Apophisandrinae stat. nov.), with some partially shared plesiomorphic characters of both Kateretidae and Nitidulidae: Epuraeinae, and with a series of convergent morphological characters also shared with other extant anthophagous nitidulids including Nitidulinae: Mystropini and Meligethinae. As such, all the fossil species from the Kachin amber initially described in Kateretidae and recently moved to Apophisandridae, should be included in Nitidulidae: Apophisandrinae.

The fossil record of female sexual ornamentation in Empididae (Diptera: Empidoidea), with description of four new species

DALE E. GREENWALT — 2024-10-30

Females of the subfamily Empidinae (Diptera: Empididae s.s.) often exhibit sexual ornamentation, an adaptation that, within the animal world at large, is most often associated with males, especially in vertebrates. Ornaments of female Empidinae include: 1) legs with rows of relatively large pennate scales, 2) enlarged and/or darkly pigmented wings and 3) inflated abdominal sacs. Ornamentation makes the females appear larger, a characteristic that may make them appear, albeit deceptively, more fecund, and therefore more attractive to potential mates. Given the rarity of female sexual ornamentation, these flies, particularly those of the tribe Empidini, have become a model system for study of this phenomenon. The family’s fossil record consists of 111 known occurrences including several genera from the middle Jurassic. This fossil record however is dominated by two genera, Empis and Rhamphomyia, which account for nearly 60% of all fossil occurrences. Unfortunately, there has been no fossil record of empidine sexual ornamentation other than pennate leg scales. Herein, we review this fossil record and describe the first empidine fossils, all from the Middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation, with enlarged and/or darkly pigmented wings, Rhamphomyia kitadai sp. nov. and R. brunnipennis sp. nov., and two new species of Rhamphomyia which display pennate leg scales, R. decens sp. nov. and R. pennipes sp. nov. Rhamphomyia enena Cockerell, 1921, the oldest known fossil that exhibits pennate leg scales, is redescribed.

Arthropod coprolites and wound reaction in the late Paleozoic climbing fern Hansopteris

FENG-YAN LI — 2024-10-30

Interactions between arthropods and plants have been documented extensively in late Paleozoic trees and ground cover plants, but they have rarely been recorded in late Paleozoic climbers. In this study, we present the second example of coprolites preserved within the plant tissue from the early Permian fossil Lagerstätte Wuda Tuff Flora. The host axis is identified as a phyllophore of the climbing fern Hansopteris uncinatus by the combined evidence of anatomy, morphology, and associated plants. Unlike the first coprolites, which were suggested to be produced by oribatid mites, the culprit of the studied coprolites was likely a myriapod or beetle, indicated by their slightly larger size and the boring behaviour. Furthermore, anomalous parenchymatous cells, sclerenchymatous cells, and metaxylem tracheids have been observed surrounding the tunnel, suggesting responses to traumatic stimulus caused by arthropod damage. This discovery provides an informative example of arthropod herbivory on late Paleozoic climbers and sheds light on how the host plant responded during the early stage of injury.

Apachyus madseni (Dermaptera: Apachyidae) sp. nov. from the Ypresian Fur Formation of Denmark: the first fossil record of the enigmatic earwig family Apachyidae

THOMAS J. SIMONSEN — 2024-10-30

We describe Apachyus madseni sp. nov. based on an almost complete fossil from the Fur Formation in northwestern Denmark. The fossil is the second Dermaptera species described from the early Ypresian Fur Formation and the first fossil representative of the enigmatic family Apachyidae. Today, Apachyidae are restricted to Central Africa, and the Orient from southern India to the Philippines and northern Australia. The new fossil thus represents not only a new addition to the fossil mo-clay fauna, but also a considerable expansion of the historical biogeographical ranges of Apachyidae.

New species of braconid parasitoid wasps from the subfamilies Doryctinae and Brachistinae from late Eocene Baltic amber

SERGEY A. BELOKOBYLSKIJ — 2024-10-30

Three new fossil species of braconid wasps are described and illustrated from late Eocene Baltic amber: Palaeorhoptrocentrus tenuicornis sp. nov. (Doryctinae), Taphaeus obscurus sp. nov. (Brachistinae: Diospilini), and Eubazus electrus sp. nov. (Brachistinae: Brachistini). Keys to the known species of Palaeorhoptrocentrus Belokobylskij, 2023 and to species of Eubazus Nees, 1812 described from Baltic amber are provided. An illustrated redescription of Blacus (Electroblacus) facialis Brues, 1933 (Brachistinae: Blacini) is also provided, along with digital photographs for the first time of the female of B. (Electroblacus) facialis, whose type material was lost during the World War II. We also provide morphological notes and digital photographs of a male belonging to an undescribed species of Meteorus (Euphorinae).

Discovery of new brown lacewings from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber highlights the Cretaceous diversity of Hemerobiidae (Insecta: Neuroptera)

ZU-LUAN CHEN — 2024-10-30

Two new genera and two new species of the lacewing family Hemerobiidae, Mischemerobia yumini Chen, Zhuo & Liu gen. et sp. nov. and Pararchaeomegaloma suzheni Chen, Zhuo & Liu gen. et sp. nov., are described from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber in northern Myanmar. Mischemerobia Chen, Zhuo & Liu gen. nov. differs from the other genera by the complex configuration of forewing recurrent humeral veinlet, the presence of two forewing ORBs, and the forewing MP distally fused with CuA. Pararchaeomegaloma Chen, Zhuo & Liu gen. nov. can be distinguished from the other genera by the presence of only one forewing ORB, with posterior most branch deeply forked, and the forewing MP forked near wing margin. Our finding provides new evidence for understanding the Cretaceous diversity and early diversification of brown lacewings.

New taxa in ancient collections: the Carboniferous Palaeodictyoptera (Insecta) from the Natural History Museum of Lille (France)

ANDRÉ NEL — 2024-10-30

Some Palaeodictyoptera from the collection of the Museum of Natural History of Lille (France) are described or revised. These are the spilapterid Spilaptera belgica sp. nov. and Gallospilaptera pectinata gen. et sp. nov., the breyeriid Breyeria delruei Laurentiaux, 1949 and Breyeropsis stopai Laurentiaux & Laurentiaux-Vieira, 1951 (as junior synonym of B. delruei stat. nov.), and the lithomanteid ‘Hadroneuriopsis cf. heidi Laurentiaux, 1958’ (= Lithomantis heidi (Laurentiaux, 1950)).

Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov., a new formicine ant from Oligo-Miocene Mexican amber

FERNANDO VARELA-HERNÁNDEZ — 2024-10-30

A novel ant genus and species, Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. is described from Late Oligocene-Early Miocene Mexican amber. It is placed within the subfamily Formicinae based on the presence of an acidopore. It can be distinguished by its diminutive size, elongated scapes that extend beyond the head’s vertex by approximately double the length of the head, eyes located about 2/3 the distance between the mandible’s base and the head’s vertex. Additional diagnostic features include a distinctive keel-shaped clypeus, a prominently marked promesonotal groove, a discontinuous mesonotum with dorsal and declivitous edges, a curved propodeum lacking differentiated anterior and posterior margins, and a markedly reduced node on a thick petiole. Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. is in syninclusion with deciduous petals and filaments of a flower identified as cf. Hymenaea mexicana, along with elements closely associated with leaf litter and the soil environment. As an extinct taxon endemic to Oligo-Miocene deposits, Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. enriches the diversity within the subfamily Formicinae and offers valuable insights into the evolutionary history of formicine ants.

The history of palaeomyrmecology with emphasis on the works of the prominent palaeomyrmecologist Gennady M. Dlussky (1937–2014)

DMITRY M. ZHARKOV — 2024-10-02

May 1, 2024, marks the 10^th anniversary of the passing of the eminent palaeomyrmecologist Professor Gennady M. Dlussky. In the decade since his death, 20 posthumous articles have been published, furthering his legacy. To honour his contributions and to document his role as the most significant figure in the history of palaeomyrmecology, we have written an account of the field’s development, with a special focus on Dlussky’s work on fossil ants. Over the course of his scientific career, G.M. Dlussky authored or co-authored 226 fossil ant species, representing nearly a third (28%) of all valid fossil species known today. We have identified four stages in the development of palaeomyrmecology, one of which we have named “Dlussky’s Era.” Additionally, we provide a comprehensive list of his palaeomyrmecological publications.

Proposal of a new species for a previously described elmine larva (Coleoptera, Elmidae) from the Lower Eocene of Rajasthan (India, Palana Formation)

ALEXANDER G. KIREJTSHUK — 2024-10-30

A single elmid larva reported from a laminate maroon shale bed of Gurha opencast lignite mine (Palana Formation, early Eocene, Bikaner District, north-western Rajasthan, India: Kumar et al., 2016) is the first preimaginal fossil known up to date. It was thoroughly examined and published by Kirejtshuk et al. (2023). However, because of the absence of any unambiguous diagnostic character for a strict generic attribution of this fossil, its rather described larva remained unnamed. Taking into consideration the scientific importance of this fact for different aspects of our knowledge it is rather advisable to introduce the description of this specimen to scientific community with a concrete specific name and probable generic attribution.

The first firefly fossil (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) from Dominican amber

ANDRÉ SILVA ROZA — 2024-10-30

Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) comprise ~2,500 extant species worldwide (Ferreira et al., 2020). Considering the extant diversity of firefly species, their fossil record is scant, with only eight taxa across four subfamilies: Luciolinae, Ototretinae, Lamprohizinae, and Lampyrinae (Supplementary file 1; Kazantsev, 2024). Dominican amber may have the best quality of preservation among fossil resins, with a rich diversity of fossil specimens (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005) from the early Miocene (20–15 Ma) (Iturralde-Vinent & MacPhee, 2019). However, no firefly taxon was previously known from this deposit. Here, we describe the first Lampyridae fossil from Dominican amber. It represents a new species of the extant Neotropical genus Lychnacris Motschulsky, 1853, which has 19 extant species known from the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean (Kazantsev & Perez-Gelabert, 2009, 2013; Perez-Gelabert, 2011).