Noergaardia dinae, Fanti & Damgaard, 2018

Fanti, Fabrizio & Damgaard, Anders Leth, 2018, Fossil soldier beetles from Baltic amber of the Anders Damgaard amber collection (Coleoptera Cantharidae), Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 18 (1), pp. 1-32 : 8-11

Noergaardia dinae n. sp.

( Figs. 5 - 6 )

Holotype. Sex undetermined, in Baltic amber, accession No. ALDC0055 /ALD. Ba.Can. 6

Type locality. Russia, Kaliningrad Region, Sambian Peninsula, amber quarry near Yantarny (previously known as Palmnicken).

Type horizon. Middle Eocene (Lutetian) (47.8- 41.2 MY) to Late Eocene (Priabonian) (37.8- 33.9 MY).

Differential diagnosis. Easily distinguishable from all other soldier beetles by the 19- segmen ted an ten n ae with saucer -shaped segments III-VIII. Other similar genera with dissimilar antennae are Palmnickeneoceras n. gen. (11 articles, antennomeres III-V dilated, antennomere VI subrectangular), Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss (12 articles, III-IX saucer-shaped), Sucinocantharis Kuśka & Kania (16 articles, III-X dilated to saucer-shaped) and Eridanula n. gen. (17 articles, III-VII dilated, VIII saucer-shaped, IX slightly dilated). Electronycha Kazantsev (15 filiform antennal articles and only the VI-IX swollen) and Michalskantharis Fanti (17 antennal articles but filiform inflated and not modified) could also be added to this group ( Schaufuss 1892; Kuśka & Kania 2010; Kazantsev 2013; Fanti 2017c).

Description. Adult, winged, flattened, elongate. Sex undetermined. Body length 8.0- 8.5 mm and difficult to assess because the head is folded. Entirely dark brown-blackish. Head globular, not well visible, almost completely exposed and equipped with some setae. Eyes rounded. Maxillary palpomeres unequal; first segment very short; second elongated and third along almost one-half as long as the second; the last securiform and very rounded at apex, typical of the subfamily Cantharinae . An tennae 19- segmented; scape elongated and much enlarged; second very short, strongly globular and the smallest of all; antennomeres III-VII dilated and saucer-shaped; antennomere VIII dilated, saucer-shaped/trapezoidal and more elongated of the articles III-VII; antennomere IX rectangular elongated and slightly rounded; antennomeres X-XIX filiform with the first five more swollen at apex; antennomere XIX about one-half as long as the previous. Pronotum strongly transverse and slightly convex with parallel sides and apical margin very reflanged, shiny, hairless, and with very small not impressed punctation. Scutellum triangular with the base enlarged and concave and the apex rounded. Elytra long, slightly exceeding the last abdominal segment, as wide as the pronotum, rounded at apex but not narrowed, with the surface very granulose and equipped by long setae. Sternites dark brown and tergites subsquared with the last segment small in the lobeshape. Coxae massive; trochanters triangularelongated shaped with apex rounded; femora strongly curved and cylindrical-globular with the metafemora more tapered from mid-length and almost twice as long as the mesofemora; tibiae very fine and cylindrical with metatibiae very long, twice as long as the mesotibiae. Tarsi 5- segmented equipped by setae; first segment long; second almost one-half as long as the first; third one-half as long as the first and not bilobed at sides; fourth elongated and rounded at apex; fifth thin, very elongated; claws simple with pretarsal claws equipped by a rounded denticle.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dina Pallari, mother of the first author (Fanti), for her constant support and encouragement of his research and entomological studies.

Syninclusions. A few air bubbles and wood remains, some pyrite.

Remarks. The amber piece measures about 31 x 18 x 9 mm and is very clear, enabling an optimal dorsal view of the inclusion.

Figures

Fig. 5. Noergaardia dinae n. gen. et n. sp. in Baltic amber. ABC: Holotype, dorsal views (different angulations), bars = 1.0 mm; D: Holotype, lateral view, bar = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 6. Noergaardia dinae n. gen. et n. sp. in Baltic amber. Holotype, detail of antenna, bar = 1.0 mm.