Laima, 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 : 12-14

Genus LAIMA gen. nov.

zoobank.org/ C3B47AF1-BDF5-440C-9E96-082312AB7CA7

Type species. Laima andreei sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Laima can be diagnosed from all known extant Endomychinae genera by the following combination of characters: black elongate body; irregularly punctate and densely pubescent elytra; pronotum much narrower than base of elytra, with anterior angles not produced, and lateral sulci with two small tubercles; and sutural striae distinct only apically.

Laima closely resembles extant Saula (elongate body, irregularly punctate and uniformly colored elytra, dense pubescence, pronotum narrower than elytral base with anterior angles not produced); but Laima differs from Saula in having black body, smaller size, smooth (not crenulate) lateral margins of pronotum, rounded scutellum and five abdominal ventrites. Moreover, Laima can be distinguished from Danae Reiche, 1847 by pronotal form (without broad, raised lateral margins, without produced anterior angles, and with lateral sides not arcuate), and by presence of five abdominal ventrites; from Stenotarsus Perty, 1832 by elongate body with subparallel elytra, and not protruding anterior angles of pronotum; from Tragoscelis Strohecker, 1953 by having not as stout antennae and lacking deflexed acute anterior angles of pronotum; from Ectomychus Gorham, 1887 by having symmetrical antennal club, deep basal sulcus on pronotum, and lacking protruding pronotal angles. Laima can be easily distinguished from only other fossil endomychid beetle known from Baltic amber, with similar length and elongate body form, Phymaphoroides antennatus Motschulsky, 1856 , based mainly on shape of ninth antennomere (simple in Laima , and strongly enlarged in Phymaphoroides ).

Etymology. This new genus-group name is a theonym and derived from Laima , the name of a goddess from the Baltic pagan religion (the goddess of fortune, destiny, fate, pregnancy and childbirth). The gender is feminine.

Composition. The new genus is monotypic.