Palaecoryphus viktori, Alekseev & Tomaszewska, 2018

Alekseev, Vitalii I. & Tomaszewska, Wioletta, 2018, New handsome fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea: Anamorphidae, Endomychidae) from European amber of the Upper Eocene, Palaeontologia Electronica (6 A) 21 (1), pp. 1-23 : 9

Palaecoryphus viktori sp. nov.

Figure 3.1-3

zoobank.org/ D7C9518E-9FEB-4275-A3C6-E0233F0A80BE

Type material. Holotype: No. 1222-3 [ CCHH]. Sex unknown. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber with a yellowish shade. The small amber piece is embedded in a block of polyester resin (total measurements are 16 x 10 x 5 mm). Syninclusions consist of one mite. Underside and right side of the beetle are obscured by milky foam within the surrounding amber.

Type strata. Baltic amber. Eocene.

Type locality. Russia, Kaliningrad region, the Sambian [Samland] peninsula, Yantarny settlement [formerly Palmnicken] .

Etymology. Patronymic, this new species is dedicated to the son of the first author, Viktor V. Alekseev.

Diagnosis. As stated for new genus.

Description. Body length 1.6 mm; width (at widest point within anterior one-third of elytra) 1.1 mm. Broadly oval, convex habitus; dorsal surface covered with long pubescence; body and head uniformly dark, almost black; antennae and most part of legs brown, with palpi and tarsi paler.

Head retracted into prothorax up to point of compound eyes, which are rounded, weakly prominent. Antennae relatively long, extending to base of elytra; composed of 11 antennomeres, and pubescent; basal antennomeres slender, followed by loose club, composed of three antennomeres. Antennomere length proportions follow formula: 6: 5: 3.3: 3.3: 3.3: 3.3: 3.3: 3.3: 5: 5: 9. Antennomere 9 subquadrate, antennomere 10 transverse, antennomere 11 obconical. Terminal maxillary palpomere spindle-shaped and pointed; terminal labial palpomere cylindrical, pointed.

Pronotum transverse (0.3 times as long as wide), widest at middle; basal transverse sulcus deep; lateral sulci long (reaching two-thirds of pronotal length) and deep. Anterior and posterior angles rounded, anterior angles weakly produced. Posterior margin of pronotum truncate, anterior almost straight, lateral sides arcuate. Pronotum coarsely and densely punctate with interspaces 0.5–1.0 times puncture diameter. Pronotum covered with long, semierect setae (as long as 3.0–4.0 times puncture diameter).

Elytra rounded (1.1 times longer than wide; 4.25 times longer than pronotum) and convex; irregularly coarsely and densely punctate, and pubescent like pronotum; with weak humeri; wider than posterior margin of pronotum; with narrowly flattened margins. Sutural striae distinct from elytral apex to near scutellum, becoming evanescent in scutellar area; not curved near scutellum. Scutellum visible, strongly transverse (2.5 times wider than long). Epipleura present, well developed, reaching posterior margin of ventrite 1. Hind wings not apparent.

Procoxae narrowly separated, meso- and especially metacoxae widely separated. Mesocoxal cavities closed laterally. Abdomen with five ventrites; ventrite 1 as long as four following ventrites combined. Ventrites 2, 3, 4 and 5 subequal in length. Apex of terminal ventrite rounded. Postcoxal lines absent.

Legs with femora clavate, tibiae simple (without any angulations or projections), widened toward apex, covered with short pubescence. Tarsal formula 4-4-4. Tarsi long, with simple cylindrical segments. Tarsomere 4 as long as tarsomeres 2–3 combined. Tarsal claws 0.3 times as long as tarsomere 4, simple, symmetrical.

Remarks. Antero-dorsal part of the head is not visible, so the presence of fronto-clypeal suture in this specimen cannot be confirmed.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Anamorphids from Baltic amber. 1-3, Palaecoryphus viktori gen. et sp. nov. (No. 1222-3 [CCHH], holotype), habitus in left lateral (1), dorsal (2), and right lateral (3) views. 4-6, Giltine ampeensis gen. et sp. nov. (No. AWI- 133 [CVIA], holotype), a reconstruction of the habitus in dorsal view (4) and habitus in dorsal (5) and ventro-lateral (6) views.