Sanaungulus christensenae, Fanti & Damgaard, 2019

Fanti, Fabrizio & Damgaard, Anders Leth, 2019, New soldier beetles (Cantharidae) from Baltic, Burmese and Dominican ambers of the Anders Damgaard amber collection, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 19 (2), pp. 101-125 : 109-110

Sanaungulus christensenae sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 - 8 )

Holotype. Probably male, in Burmese amber, accession No. ALDC0528 /ALD.Bu.205

Type locality. Myanmar: Kachin state, Myitkyina District, Tanai Township, Hukawng Valley.

Type horizon. Lowermost Cenomanian (98.79 ± 0.62 Ma), mid-Cretaceous.

Differential diagnosis. No fossil species of soldier beetles show the antennae with the antennomeres IV-IX with long rami. The other taxa of the genus Sanaungulus Fanti, Damgaard & Ellenberger, 2018 have the rami in antennomeres IV-VI, IV-VII, III-X or filiform antennae, while the genus Burmomiles Fanti, Damgaard & Ellenberger, 2018 has rami in the antennomeres III-IX, and has also a different shape of pronotum, head and longer and wider elytra (Fanti et al. 2018).

Description. Adult, winged, slender, probably male on the basis of the last open urites with apparently part of aedeagus visible. Entirely dark brown. Body length: 4.0 mm.

Head completely exposed, anteriorly as large as pronotum and posteriorly narrower, triangular behind the eyes, with slightly punctation and pubescence. Eyes wide, rounded, convex, strongly prominent, inserted laterally and in the upper part of the head, inter-ocular dorsal distance about 3.1 times greater than eye diameter. Mandibles very elongate, thin, apically pointed, and with a long and robust tooth to mid length. Maxillary palpi 4-segmented, palpomeres unequal in length, third palpomere thin and elongate, last palpomere elongate and slightly securiform and with apical margin rounded and upper part slightly pointed. Labial palpi 3-segmented. Antennae 11-segmented, pectinate, short, surpassing the humeral zone of the elytra, antennal insertion in proximity and in the central-upper part of the eyes; scape very stout, rather short, club-shaped; pedicel filiform, slightly robust, as long as scape; antennomere III filiform, thin, about 2.3 times longer than scape; antennomere IV as long as antennomere III, pectinate, equipped with a thin, cylindrical, truncate and almost straight apically and long antennal process inserted in the ventral-apical part; antennomeres V-VI pectinate, enlarged apically, slightly shorter than previous and equipped with a long antennal process which is squadrate apically; antennomeres VII-IX shorter, robust, each equipped with an antennal process truncate and squadrate apically; antennomeres X-XI very robust, flat and without rami; all antennomeres with small and short setae. Pronotum strongly transverse, anterior margin almost straight and strongly bordered, posterior margin slightly curved and not bordered, lateral margins rounded and restricted near the anterior margin, posterior corners rounded, surface flat, smooth and with small pubescence. Scutellum triangular-shaped, rounded apically. Elytra at humeri wider than pronotum and subsequently as wide as pronotum, very short which reveals various abdominal segments, parallel-sided, rounded at apex; surface strongly rugouse with punctation, and with some striae in very faint traces. Posterior wings slightly surpassing the elytra and not reaching the last abdominal segments. Metasternum elongate, ventrites transverse and rugouse with pubescence, last urite rounded with the tergite rounded and longer than sternite, last sternite rounded with apically a lobe at sides and concave in the middle. Legs long especially those metathoracic; coxae short; trochanters elongate and robust; femora long, more robust than tibiae; tibiae long, cylindrical, thin, longer than femora; tarsal formula 5-5-5, with the first tarsomere robust and about 2.3 times longer than second; third tarsomere very short; fourth tarsomere bilobed; fifth elongate, flat, slightly enlarged apically; claws simple.

Etymology. In memory of the Danish poet, novelist and essayist Inger Christensen (Vejle, 16 January 1935 - Copenhagen, 2 January 2009). Dedicates that the Danish artist and author Amalie Smith suggested to us.

Syninclusions. Diptera (one specimen), air bubbles, and stellate hairs.

Remarks. The amber piece measures 11 x 19.5 x 5 mm and the matrix is transparent. The inclusion is well visible.

Figures

Fig. 7. Sanaungulus christensenae sp. nov.ALDC0528/ALD.Bu.205 in Burmese amber.A: Holotype, dorsal view, bar = 1.0 mm; B: Holotype, dorsal view, bar = 1.0 mm; C: Holotype, detail of antennae, bar = 500 μm; D: Holotype, detail of head, palp, mandible and pronotum, bar = 200 μm.

Fig. 8. Sanaungulus christensenae sp. nov.ALDC0528/ALD.Bu.205 in Burmese amber.A: Holotype, detail of last tergites, bar = 200 μm; B: Holotype, detail of last ventrites, bar = 200 μm; C: Holotype, detail of sternum, bar = 500 μm; D: Holotype, detail of head and pronotum, bar = 400 μm.