A New Genus of Sap Beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from Mid-Cretaceous Amber of Northern Myanmar

Abstract

Nitidulidae is the most diverse family of the recently recognized superfamily Nitiduliodea, but Mesozoic nitidulids that are critical for understanding their early diversification are sparse. Here, we report a new genus and species of Nitidulidae, Protonitidula neli gen. et sp. nov., that was recovered from mid-Cretaceous amber in northern Myanmar. The new genus is distinguished from all members of the extant nitidulid subfamilies most prominently by the loose antennal club and the absence of subantennal grooves. Protonitidula neli can be excluded from the closely related Kateretidae and classified into Nitidulidae by the broad and apically expanded prosternal process, although it has many pleisiomorphic characters.

A New Subgenus of the Genus Phenolia (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae) from Myanmar Cretaceous Amber with Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Bionomic Notes on the ‘Nitidulid’ Group of Families

“…Another important aspect is that both Kateretidae and apparently fossil Apophisandridae stat. nov. have articulated paramera ( [26]: Figure 4A) and a membranous ovipositor not divided into inner and outer lobes ( [35]: Figure 1). The taxon Apophisandrini was proposed as a tribe in the family Cerambycidae (Chrysomeloidea) after the study of one badly preserved specimen (holotype of Apophisandra ammytae Molino-Olmedo, 2017 [34]), and later, it was transferred to the family '(?)'…”

“…nov.) is quite abundant among beetles included in Burmese amber, many researchers followed Poinar and Brown [26], and some publications appeared in a rather short period [27][28][29][30][31][32]. However, one genus of this group was recently described among Nitidulidae [35]. These circumstances need to be clarified in more detais (see below) in order to achieve a correct interpretation of the 'nitidulid' group of families in general and each family and subfamily in it.…”

“…nov., which was originally proposed as the tribe Apophisandrini Molino-Olmedo, 2017 [34] within the family Cerambycidae. One fossil genus recently described as a nitidulid, Protonitidula Zhao, Huang and Cai, 2022 [35], also belongs to the Apophisandridae stat. nov. Apophisandridae stat.…”

Protoliota paleus sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) – new long antennae beetle in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

“…The family Parandrexidae Kirejtshuk, 1994 is known only from the fossil state (Soriano et al 2006). Representatives of 15 families (Table 2) have been reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Cai & Huang 2016Cai et al 2018;Jin et al 2019;Kirejtshuk & Chetverikov 2018;Kirejtshuk et al 2019;Li et al 2021aLi et al , 2021bLi et al , 2022aLi et al , 2022bLi et al , 2022cLiu et al 2018Liu et al , 2019aLiu et al , 2019bPeris & Declòs 2015;Peris & Jelínek 2019Poinar & Brown 2018;Poinar & Kirejtshuk 2008;Tihelka et al 2020Tihelka et al , 2021aTihelka et al , 2021bTomaszewska et al 2018Tomaszewska et al , 2022Wu et al 2018;Zhao et al 2022).…”

“…List of superfamily Cucujoidea from Burmese amber. Family Boganiidae Sen Gupta et Crowson, 1966 Cretoboganium gei Cai et Huang, 2019 (Cai & Huang 2019b) Cretoparacucujus cycadophilus Cai et Escalona, 2018 (Cai et al 2018) Family Cyclaxyridae Gimmel, Leschen et Ślipiński, 2009 Electroxyra cretacea (Wu, 2018) (Wu et al 2018) Pacyclaxyra azari Tihelka, Huang et Cai, 2021 (Tihelka et al 2021a) Family Helotidae Reitter, 1876 Burmahelota pengweii Liu, Ślipiński, Ren et Pang, 2018 (Liu et al 2018) Metahelotella monochromata Liu, Ślipiński, Ren et Pang, 2018 (Liu et al 2018) Cretolenax carinatus Liu, Tihelka, McElrath et Yamamoto, 2019 (Liu et al 2019b) Cretolenax diabolus Tihelka, Liu, McElrath et Yamamoto, 2019 (Liu et al 2019b) Lenax karenae Liu, Tihelka, McElrath et Yamamoto, 2019 (Liu et al 2019b) Family Nitidulidae Latreille, 1802Protonitidula neliZhao, Huang et Cai, 2022(Zhao et al 2022 …”