Palaeocnopus saeticornis, Alekseev, Vitalii I. & Grzymala, Traci L., 2015

Alekseev, Vitalii I. & Grzymala, Traci L., 2015, New Aderidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) from Baltic and Bitterfeld amber, Zootaxa 3956 (2), pp. 239-257 : 251-254

Palaeocnopus saeticornis sp. nov. Alekseev & Grzymala

( Figs. 22 , 28–29 )

Material examined. Holotype No. 890-3 [ CCHH], possible male (due to long antennae and large eyes) ( Figs. 28– 29 ). The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber, orange in color and the amber piece is embedded in polyester resin. The syninclusions are represented by numerous trichomes, one flower (possibly of an oak), and one Collembola. Paratype No. 25-1 [ CCHH], possible male. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber, orange-reddish in color, without any further fixation. The piece is elongate, oval, with maximum length 24 mm and maximum width 15 mm. The syninclusions are represented by three Brachycera (two morphospecies) and five Nematocera. Paratype No. 1049-2 [ CCHH], possible male. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber, orange-reddish in color, without any further fixation. The piece is flat, irregular in form, with maximum length 37 mm and maximum width 25 mm. The syninclusions are represented by numerous trichomes, one specimen of mite (Acari: Oribatidae ), a partial spider's web, and one specimen of Brachycera (1.7 mm long). Paratype No. AWI-068, possible male. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber, yellow in color, without any further fixation. The piece is flat, oval, with maximum length 25 mm and maximum width 16 mm. The syninclusions are represented by seven trichomes. Paratype No. AWI-016, possible male. The beetle inclusion is preserved in a polished piece of transparent amber, orange-reddish in color, without any further fixation. The piece is flat, elongate, with maximum length 43 mm and maximum width 12 mm. The syninclusions are represented by numerous trichomes, by one spider ( Araneae ), by two Nematocera (1.0 and 0.9 mm long) and one Hymenoptera (0.7 mm long, possibly Scelionidae ).

Etymology. This species is named from a combination of Latin “ saeta ” [long hair] and Latin “ cornu ” [horn or antenna], referring to the long and notable pubescence of the antennae.

Type strata. Bitterfeld amber. Eocene.

Type locality. Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Goitzsche (Bitterfeld).

Description. Length 1.5–1.7 mm (No. 890-3— 1.7 mm; No. 25- 1—1.5 mm; No. 1049-2— 1.7 mm; No. AWI- 068— 1.5 mm); moderately convex, elongate; uniformly dark piceous. Upper surface clothed with moderately long, uniseriate pubescence (holotype) or glabrous (paratypes—most likely due to setal abrasion and loss). Body length 2.75× maximum body width. Elytral length 3.9× pronotal length.

Head. Eyes large, oval, hemispherical, coarsely faceted, adjacent to hind margin of head; interocular space (in frons area) narrower than one ocular diameter; temples narrow; apical maxillary palpomere acute, triangular; apical labial palpomere wide, oval, rounded. Vertex finely, densely punctate. Antenna ( Fig. 22 B) filiform, long, 11- segmented, with elongate pubescence (not visible for some specimens); reaching to apical half of elytron when folded backward; pedicel shortest, cylindrical; apical antennomere spindle-shaped; antennomere length ratios: 6-3- 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-7.

Thorax. Pronotum transverse ( Fig.22 A), widest sub-basally; glabrous; finely and densely punctate; without visible pubescence; with deep and well-defined sinuate, sub-basal impression and two deep sub-triangular lateral impressions at anterior angles. Scutellum transverse, in form of slightly rounded rectangle. Elytron glabrous, subparallel, moderately convex, slightly depressed on disc; width 0.52× length; punctation irregular, coarse, dense, but obsolete in scutellar area and finer, sparse in other parts. Elytral pubescence conspicuous, long.

Abdomen. Separation of abdominal ventrite I and abdominal ventrite II well-defined laterally, obsolete and fine medially.

Legs. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than metatarsomeres II-IV combined.

Diagnosis. Palaeocnopus saeticornis sp. nov. differs from P. densipunctatus by the shape and ratios of the antennomeres, the long elytral pubescence, the punctation of the head and abdomen, and the pronotal impressions.

Note. The newly described species is found in Bitterfeld and in true Eastern (Sambian) Baltic amber. Paratype No. AWI-016 has the deep medial pronotal impression, but with a different pronotal shape (widest behind the middle). This specimen is an autoclave-treated specimen, with the characteristic darkening of color and compression and distortion of legs and body parts. We assume the above-mentioned differences are only derived from this treatment of the amber and have no species-specific value in this case.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 24. Palaeocnopus spp. illustrations. 21) Palaeocnopus densipunctatus sp. nov. A. forebody, B. antenna; 22) Palaeocnopus saeticornis sp. nov. A. forebody, B. antenna; 23) Palaeocnopus glabricornis sp. nov. A. forebody, B. antenna; 24) Palaeocnopus mara sp. nov. A. forebody, B. antenna.

FIGURES 28 – 31. Palaeocnopus habitus photographs. Palaeocnopus saeticornis sp. nov. 28) Holotype, dorsal view; 29) Holotype, latero-ventral view. Palaeocnopus glabricornis sp. nov. 30) Holotype, dorsal view; 31) Holotype, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.