scholarly journals The Fossil Record of Darkling Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxim V. Nabozhenko

The fossil record of Tenebrionidae (excluding the Quartenary) is presented. In total, 122 fossil species, clearly belonging to the family, are known; some beetles were determined only to genus; 78 genera are listed in the fossil record, including 29 extinct genera. The great diversity of tenebrionids occurs in the Lower Cretaceous Lagerstätte of China (Yixian Formation), Middle Paleocene of France (Menat), Lower Eocene deposits of Germany (Geiseltal), Upper Eocene Baltic amber (Eastern Europe), Upper Eocene deposits of Florissant Formation (USA) and Miocene (Dominican amber). Tenebrionids of the following major lineages, including seven subfamilies, are currently known in the fossil record. These include the lagrioid branch (Lagriinae, Nilioninae), pimelioid branch (Pimeliinae), and tenebrioid branch (Alleculinae, Tenebrioninae, Diaperinae, Stenochiinae). The importance of the fossil record for evolutionary reconstructions and phylogenetic patterns is discussed. The oldest Jurassic and Early Cretaceous darkling beetles of the tenebrionoid branch consist of humid-adapted groups from the extant tribes Alleculini, Ctenopodiini (Alleculinae), and Alphitobiini (Tenebrioninae). Thus, paleontological evidence suggests that differentiation of the family started at least by the Middle Jurassic but does not indicate that xerophilic darkling beetles differentiated much earlier than mesophilic groups.

Fossil Record ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Lohrmann ◽  
Michael Ohl ◽  
Peter Michalik ◽  
James P. Pitts ◽  
Laurent Jeanneau ◽  
...  

Abstract. Rhopalosomatidae are a family of aculeate wasps that are ectoparasitoids of crickets as larvae and are predominantly distributed pantropically. The published fossil record of the family is scarce. Here, we report three new fossil rhopalosomatid wasp specimens from Dominican and Mexican amber. Rhopalosoma hispaniola Lohrmann sp. nov. is described and documented from Dominican amber by two separate inclusions – one of each sex. An additional fossil female Rhopalosoma is described and documented from Mexican amber but is not named due to the insufficient preservation of the fossil. The new fossils, which are morphologically intermediate between Townes' isopus and poeyi species groups, do not only represent the first fossil records of an extant genus of this peculiar family but also the first records of the family in Dominican and Mexican amber.


Fossil Record ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andris Bukejs ◽  
Andrei A. Legalov

Abstract. A new pear-shaped weevil, Toxorhynchus europeoeocenicus Bukejs et Legalov, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Brentidae: Apioninae), is described from upper Eocene Rovno amber using X-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT). The new fossil species differs from the extinct Toxorhynchus robustus Poinar et Legalov, 2015 (Dominican amber, lower Miocene) in the larger body size, narrower elytral striae, and wider pronotum. It is the first record of the family Brentidae in Rovno amber and the first record of the genus Toxorhynchus in the eastern hemisphere (urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8FB7B299-EE75-4556-B4EA-203A3CBED84C).


Fossil Record ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-393
Author(s):  
Corentin Jouault ◽  
Arvid Aase ◽  
André Nel

Abstract. Paleoxyela nearctica gen. et sp. nov., is described from the upper Eocene of Florissant Formation in Colorado. We placed Paleoxyela gen. nov. in the subfamily Macroxyelinae and the tribe Macroxyelini based on the numerous wing venation characters visible on the specimen. Proxyelia pankowskii gen. et sp. nov. is described from the lower Eocene Fossil Lake deposits of the Green River Formation in Wyoming. We placed Proxyelia gen. nov. in the subfamily Macroxyelinae and the tribe Xyeleciini based on the numerous wing venation characters visible on the specimen. These new records of the family Xyelidae are of particular importance to better understand the past diversity of the clade and propose hypotheses about their diversification. Extant Xyelidae inhabit temperate Northern Hemisphere forests, and most of their larvae feed on conifers, which may explain why they are relatively poorly diversified compared to the other symphytan families. We suggest that the global decline in conifers and the reduced diversity of extant host trees partly explain the diversity of extant Xyelidae. We correlate the biome repartition during the Eocene to that of the extant xyelid.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1754-1764
Author(s):  
Andrés O. Porta ◽  
Daniel N. Proud ◽  
Peter Michalik ◽  
Fabio Akashi Hernandes

A protonymph of the snout mite genus Odontoscirus Thor, 1913, O. cretacico sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Cretaceous amber of Myanmar is described and illustrated, constituting the earliest fossil species described of the family Bdellidae (ca. 99 Ma). After reexamining the literature and recollected specimens from type localities, we conclude that the following five recent species do not belong to the genus Biscirus and should be transferred to Odontoscirus: O. anomalicornis (Berlese 1916) comb. nov., O. symmetricus (Kramer 1898) comb. nov., O. uncinatus (Kramer 1898) comb. nov., O. norvegicus (Thor 1905) comb. nov., and O. insularis (Willmann 1939) comb. nov. The implications of the fossil record of the family is discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Zmudzinski

AbstractThe fossil record of the family Camerobiidae has been represented by only one species, Neophyllobius succineus Bolland and Magowski, 1990, described from Eocene Baltic amber. These prostigmatan mites are distinguishable by their distinctly long and slender stilt-like legs, and they are associated with aboveground vegetation where they hunt for other small invertebrates. This paper enhances the knowledge of fossil stilt-legged mites. Two new fossil species, N. electrus new species and N. glaesus new species, are described from samples of Baltic amber, and remarks on their morphology and taphonomy are provided. The discovery is complemented with a discussion on morphological singularities (the shape of the prodorsum, the location of setae h1 and h2 in living specimens, and lengths of genual setae), an anomaly of hypertrophied seta (found in the N. glaesus holotype), and some biogeographical issues.UUID: http://zoobank.org/d1602384-ae4f-4f90-b4a1-6cdedd77c9e1


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-118
Author(s):  
PENELOPE CLAISSE ◽  
PATRICK BRISAC ◽  
ANDRÉ NEL

Nemopteridae are a small family of myrmeleontoid lacewings characterized by elongated ribbon- or thread-like hindwings. Extant Nemopteridae comprise two subfamilies, viz. Crocinae (thread-wings) and Nemopterinae (spoon- and ribbon-wings). They are distributed in all zoogeographical regions except the Nearctic region in the extant fauna. However, the major species diversity of Nemopteridae is confined to the southern part of Africa. The fossil record of the family is scarce, with five Lower Cretaceous fossils, one from the lowermost Cenomanian, two fossils from the Upper Eocene, and two from the Oligocene (Lu et al., 2019; Nel & Jarzembowski, 2019). Here we describe a new, nearly complete fossil from the Oligocene of Lubéron in France. It was found in the Konservat Lagerstätte of Céreste, in finely laminated lacustrine limestones. It is the only specimen of this family found in this outcrop, among more than 30000 fossil insects. Neuroptera are extremely rare in this outcrop; only one adult Ascalaphidae (Ascaloptynx oligocenicus Nel, 1991) and two Mantispidae (Prosagittalata oligocenica Nel, 1988 and an undescribed specimen) have been discovered there (Nel, 1988, 1991).


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 505-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PERIS ◽  
JOSEF JELÍNEK

Although the family Kateretidae has fewer than 100 described extant species, its fossil record is growing. The description given here of Electrumeretes birmanicus gen. et sp. nov. and Polliniretes penalveri gen. et sp. nov. brings the number of fossil species in Kateretidae up to nine. Eight of the fossil species have been described from amber deposits and six are from the Cretaceous. All the Cretaceous fossil species and one from the Eocene share atypically short elytra and three dorsally exposed abdominal tergites, whereas in Recent relatives, even though they have shortened elytra, only the pygidium and a part of the preceding one or two abdominal tergites are exposed. It is suggested that shortened elytra (brachelytry) represents an ancestral state and that elytra may have become secondary longer in extant relatives.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1393 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK L.I. JUDSON

Pseudochiridium lindae n. sp. is described from Dominican amber (Miocene), representing the first fossil record of the family Pseudochiridiidae. The extant species Pseudochiridium insulae Hoff, 1964 is newly recorded from the Dominican Republic. Paracheiridium vachoni Vitali-di Castri, 1970 is transferred to the genus Pseudochiridium With, 1906 (n. comb.). The correct publication date for family-group names based on Cheiridiinae Hansen is shown to be 1894.


1982 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
N. Møller Andersen

The first fossil species of hydrometrid bugs, Eocenometra danica n.gen., n.sp., is described from deposits of Upper Paleocene/Lower Eocene age ( c. 50 million years) from northern Jutland, Denmark. The extinct form is compared with extant genera of the family Hydrometridae and its phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Paleoecological and biogeographical notes are included.


2013 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir N. Makarkin ◽  
S. Bruce Archibald

The early Eocene green lacewings (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) of the Okanagan Highlands deposits of McAbee, and Driftwood Canyon, British Columbia (Canada) and Republic, Washington (U.S.A.) are treated in detail for the first time. At least six genera are present, one unnamed, three new, with at least 10 new species, six named:Protochrysa fuscobasalisn. sp. (McAbee) (Limaiinae, the youngest known record of the subfamily),Okanaganochrysa coltsunaen. gen. n. sp. (McAbee),Adamsochrysa asperan. gen. n. sp. (McAbee),A. wilsonin. gen. n. sp. (Republic),Archaeochrysa profractan. sp. (McAbee), andPseudochrysopa harveyin. gen. n. sp. (Driftwood Canyon) (all Nothochrysinae, the latter provisionally). The four unnamed species include one assigned toPseudochrysopa, two likely belonging toAdamsochrysa, and one of an unknown nothochrysine genus. Microtholi are detected on the abdominal sclerites ofAdamsochrysa wilsoni, and the spermatheca and spermathecal duct in the abdomen ofPseudochrysopa harveyi, the first reported occurrences of these preserved in fossil Chrysopidae. Structures were detected on the apical wing margins of some species that appear similar to trichosors, which are unknown in Chrysopidae, but are present in some other neuropteran families. This is the richest described assemblage of the family anywhere in the fossil record. Okanagan chrysopids were also morphologically and presumably ecologically diverse, including large species with rich venation and well as those with simplified venation and the smallest known fossil species. This is the oldest reported occurrence of the family in North America.


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