Pseudobothrideres criwecriwayto, Alekseev, 2015

Alekseev, Vitalii I., 2015, Two new cocoon-forming beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Bothrideridae) from Baltic amber, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 15 (1), pp. 9-16 : 12-14

Pseudobothrideres criwecriwayto sp.nov.

( Figs. 1B , 4 A-B)

Material examined. Holotype Nr. 1615-2 [ CCHH], sex unknown. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber with a yellowish shade, thermal processed in an autoclave. The amber piece is embedded in polyester resin (total measurements are 13 x 8 x 5 mm). The syninclusions are represented by one fagacean stellate hair and small pieces of organic matter. Ventral surface of the beetle is covered by opaque milky foam, the ultimate right metatarsomere of the beetle is lost.

Type strata. Baltic Amber. Eocene. Description:

Body: Length 4.5 mm. Width (in the middle of elytra) 1.5 mm. Elongate, subparallel, dark; dorsal surface glabrous, shiny, without visible setation or pubescence (except the apical elytral teeth).

Head: slightly narrowed anteriorly, convex; without supra-ocular ridges; punctures distinct, small and dense. Frontoclypeal suture not well apparent. Anterior margin of clypeus broadly arcuate. Antennal groove well-developed. Antennae clavate, sparsely setose, reaching apical 1/4 of pronotum; scape and pedicel wide (wider than antennal club), rounded; antennal club segments with sparse, long, setae located at or near distal margin of the segments. Antennal club symmetrical, weakly expressed, 2-segmented. Eyes: strongly protuberant, finely facetted, lacking interfacetal setae.

Thorax: Pronotum trapezoidal in outline, slightly transverse, widest near anterior 1/4, distinctly wider than head, not bordered laterally; dorsal surface convex, flattened in the middle; anterior margin weakly arcuate; anterior angles produced, widely rounded; posterior margin sinuate, distinctly narrower than elytral bases; posterior angles pronounced, triangular. Pronotal disc with irregular, small, sparse, round punctures. Pronotum with longitudinally almost divided in two parts tubercle enclosed by well impressed sulci and two pairs of symmetrical oval pits around: two near anterior angles of sulci and two near the pronotal basis. Metasternum with long femoral lines almost reaching metacoxa. Scutellum rounded.

Elytra: Elytra flattened dorsally, convex laterally, separately rounded. Five alternate intervals on each elytron carinate. Suture without carina. The 2-4 carina form an acute, triangular protuberance at the apex. Hind wings are not apparent.

Legs: Femora and tibiae irregularly and finely punctate. Protibiae widened apically, with short and sharp terminal outer teeth, with four small acute denticles along outer margin. Meso- and metatibiae without distinct apical teeth. Tarsal

Alekseev V.I.

formula 4-4-4. Tarsomere IV the longest, tarsomeres I-III equal in size. Tarsal claws are simple, large, equal in size.

Abdomen: with five ventrites. Ventrite I as long as ventrites II and III combined; with long femoral line visible laterally.

Differential diagnosis: The new fossil species can be referred to the genus Pseudobothrideres Grouvelle, 1908 due to a combination of morphological characters (elytra without tubercles, elongate, striate-punctate, alternate intervals carinate apically; antennae 11- segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; upper sur face sh in y and with out scales; pron otum without car inae, tr apezoidal in outline, with tubercle enclosed by well impressed sulcus; metasternum and ventrite I with long femoral lines; anterior tibia widened apically, with row of small denticles along outer margin and well-marked apical teeth, inner spine long and curved; tarsi with segments I-III subequal in length). P. criwecriwayto sp. nov. differs from all extant representatives of the genus by the pronotal sculpture and by the presence of the triangular protuberance at the elytral apex. The new species can be easily distinguished from all other described species from Baltic amber with the use of the key (see chapter “discussion”).

Remarks. Two important characters are not visible on the specimen because of milky foam: prosternum and prosternal process.

Derivatio nominis. The species name is a combination of the Old Prussian “Criwe Criwayto” [Kriwe of Kriwes; Lithuanian: krivių krivaitis; Latvian: krīvu krīvs). This is a title of the high pagan priest in the Old Prussian religion. The chief priest or “pagan pope” lived at Rikojoto/Romuva and ruled over the religion of all the Balts.

Figures

Fig.1. The Baltic amber Pseudobothrideres, reconstructions: A – P. rugiorum sp.nov.; B – P.criwecriwayto sp.nov.

Fig.4. Pseudobothrideres criwecriwayto sp.nov. Dorsal view: a) Habitus; b) Forebody