Paleoquirsfeldia epicrana Otto, 2023

Otto, Robert L., 2023, The false click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Eucnemidae) of the Dominican Republic. Part I: A look into the past, Insecta Mundi 2023 (973), pp. 1-23 : 10

Paleoquirsfeldia epicrana Otto , new species

Fig. 6–7

Holotype. Embedded in small slightly ovoid Dominican Republic amber piece, 12 mm × 11 mm × 6 mm. Amber piece is clear yellow with small air bubbles, micro fractures and two additional undescribed insects (1 thrips and 1 microscopic wasp).

Description. Length, 3.0 mm. Width, 1.0 mm. Elongate and tapering towards the elytral apex; dark black; antennae and legs dark black; head, pronotum and elytra with long black recumbent setae. Head ( Fig. 6 ): Subspherical; surfaces punctate, dullish; frontoclypeal region with pair of vertical inter-ocular ridges connected medially by a horizontal ridge; dark black. Antennae: Loosely serrate, extending to pronotal hind angles; dark black. Pronotum: Shiny, with punctate surfaces; dark black. Elytra: Shiny, with punctate surfaces; dark black. Venter ( Fig. 7 ): Shiny, slightly punctate; dark black.

Etymology. Specific epithet is derived from its rectangular epistome.

Remarks. The group is clearly a member of the tribe Dirhagini , based on a number of observations. These observations include produced last abdominal ventrite, hypomeron with very shallow, wide notosternal antennal grooves, along with its elongate form. The new group is placed nearest to Quirsfeldia . Paleoquirsfeldia new genus is distinguished from all extant groups, including Quirsfeldia by its shorter flagellomere I compared with the pedicel, instead of having longer flagellomere I.

Figures

Figures 6–10. Dominican amber Eucnemidae. 6) Palaeoquirsfeldia epicrana Otto sp. nov., head. 7) Palaeoquirsfeldia epicrana Otto sp. nov., ventral view. 8) Dyscharachthis dominicana Otto sp. nov., dorsal view. 9) Dyscharachthis dominicana Otto sp. nov., ventral view. 10) Idiotarsus poinari Otto sp. nov., dorsolateral view. (Scale: 6–9 = 1.0 mm; 10 = 2.0 mm).