Pycnomerus

Alekseev, Vitalii I. & Bukejs, Andris, 2016, New Zopheridae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) from Baltic amber, Zootaxa 4178 (3), pp. 409-427 : 422

Pycnomerus sp.

( Figs 25–27 )

Material examined. One specimen of Pycnomerus sp. with collection number 273-2 [ CCHH], Baltic amber, Yantarny , Kaliningrad region, Russia. Complete beetle with partially exposed hind wings, included in small, transparent, yellow amber piece embedded in block of GTS-polyester resin with dimensions 13 × 10 × 4.5 mm. Body length of beetle is 3.0 mm, maximum body width is 1.0 mm. Syninclusions consist of stellate Fagaceae trichomes.

Note. The specimen belongs to an undescribed species of the genus. The beetle clearly differs from P. simukovi Alekseev in having ferrugineous integument, oblique pits on the forehead, a distinctly wider habitus, the pronotum apparently as long as wide, and a different punctation of the dorsal surface. Unfortunately, the important thoracic diagnostic characters are invisible on the specimen because of a dense milky-white coating of decay products within the surrounding amber. The beetle cannot be named to species and formally described at present.

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 31. Fossil Zopheridae. 25 – 27 — Pycnomerus sp., specimen No. 273 - 2 [CCHH]: 25 — habitus, dorsal view, 25 — habitus, ventral view, 25 — habitus, lateral view; 28 – 29 — Pycnomerus simukovi Alekseev, specimen No. 331 [CAG]: 28 — habitus, dorsal view, 29 — details of head and pronotum, dorsal view; 30 – 31 — Synchitini gen. and sp., specimen No. 181 - 3 [CCHH]: 30 — habitus, dorsal view, 31 — habitus, ventral view. Not reproduced to the same scale.