Eridanula susannaebierae, 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 : 7-8

Eridanula susannaebierae n. sp.

( Figs. 3 - 4 )

Holotype. Female, in Baltic amber, accession No. ALDC0396 /ALD. Ba.Can. 19

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. Given the similarity with the Cacomorphocerus lineage, the number of antennomeres and the shape of antennae are important diagnostic characters (see the next genus in this article). The only genus with the same number of antennomeres is Michalskantharis Fanti, 2017 which has the articles filiform and inflated but unmodified, and the antennae are also longer. Furthermore, Michalskantharis shows a pronotum totally convex, with apical and basal margins raised, and head not laterally enlarged ( Fanti 2017c).

Description. Adult, winged, elongate. Female, defined on the basis of the shape of last sternite not narrowed, and relative short antennae. Body length 6 mm. Entirely blackish with legs, particularly the posteriors, slightly paler. Head almost completely exposed, wider than pronotum, large as elytra at humeri, laterally very enlarged and globular, dorsally telescopic, ventrally long and extruded, surface slightly rugose covered with very sparse and short setae. Eyes in the lateral-dorsal part of head, extremely wide, evident, strongly convex, roundish. Mandibles not well visible, seems very wide at base and thin at apex. Unequal maxillary palps, 4-segmented, with the last palpomere securiform. Antennae 17-segmented, rather short and reaching almost half of the elytra, equipped with short pubescence and inserted in the upper and inner part of the eyes and not close to the eyes; scape very robust, elongated and cylindrical; pedicel short; antennomeres III-VII dilated and slightly saucer-shaped; antennomere VIII saucer-shaped and wide; antennomere IX short but large and subquadrate; antennomeres X-XVI filiform slightly enlarged and not particularly long, antennomere XVII filiform. Pronotum much narrower than elytra, slightly longer than wide; lateral margins parallel; surface with shallow punctation and recumbent pubescence, gibbous in the basal part and flat in the apical part; apical and basal margins rather raised. Scutellum wide at base and elongated apically, where it is roundish. Elytra very long, narrow, covering the last abdominal segments, parallel-sided; apex almost straight and slightly rounded, surface smooth without evident punctation and covered with short setae. Posterior wings dark brown, almost completely covered by elytra. Sternum and abdominal segments dark brown - blackish with short pubescence, last tergite very short and roundish and last ventrite not narrow. Legs of medium length, covered with dense and numerous setae; coxae massive, elongated and globular; trochanters elongated and rounded at apex; femora enlarged and slightly curved, pro- and mesofemurs about 1.3 times longer than tibiae, metafemora slightly longer than metatibiae; tibiae thin, cylindrical, short, apically equipped with spur. Tarsi 5-segmented; first tarsomere elongated and cylindrical, about 1.7-1.8 times longer than second; second tarsomere short; third tarsomere shorter than second and more enlarged; fourth strongly bilobed; fifth elongated and flat, thinner than others; claws simple without denticle at base.

Etymology. This new species is named in honour of the Danish film director Susanne Bier, to thank her for her films and to recognize her for the awards she has earned.

Syninclusions. Air bubbles, botanical mess, very small wood remains, and a small mite.

Remarks. The amber piece (measures 15 x 14 x 6 mm) is extremely transparent and allows an accurate dorsal view. Only the left side is covered by a white cotton-like cloud (emulsion, milky substance).

Figures

Fig. 3. Eridanula susannaebierae n. gen. et n. sp. in Baltic amber. A: Holotype, dorso-lateral view, bar = 1.0 mm; B: Holotype, lateral view, bar = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 4. Eridanula susannaebierae n. gen. et n. sp. in Baltic amber. A: Holotype, detail of head and pronotum, bar = 200 μm; B: Holotype, detail of antennae, bar = 400 μm; C: Holotype, detail of last tergites, bar = 500 μm.