Vertheia

Jałoszyński, Paweł & Perkovsky, Evgeny, 2016, Diversity of Scydmaeninae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Upper Eocene Rovno amber, Zootaxa 4157 (1), pp. 1-85 : 21

† Vertheia sp. 1

( Figs 3 , 56–64 )

Material studied. Late Eocene of Europe , Rovno amber: sex unknown; inclusion in an elongate prism of amber 20 mm long ( Fig. 3 ), collection number UA-442 ( SIZK).

Remarks. This specimen is very similar to V. quadrisetosa , but it lacks any remarkable characters to unambiguously define a new species. The differences include significantly lower EI (i.e., stouter elytra), slightly smaller BL, shorter antennae, lack of the long setae near posteromesal margins of eyes and lateral pronotal setae, and the presence of complete transverse antebasal groove, i.e., connecting lateral antebasal impressions. However, the setae may be broken off, the pronotal groove may show some variation, and proportions of the body parts and the body length may be different in males and females of the same species. For this reason, the specimen of Vertheia that shows more unique, remarkable characters was selected as a holotype of a new species, whereas the other one, slightly different and less remarkable, remains undescribed.

Measurements of Vertheia sp. (UA-442): BL 0.93 mm; HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.24 mm, AnL 0.33 mm; PL 0.28 mm, PW 0.30 mm; EL 0.50 mm, EW 0.48 mm, EI 1.05.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 20. Specimens of Rovno amber with inclusions of Scydmaeninae. K- 27418, Rovnoleptochromus ableptonoides sp. n. (1); K- 243, Vertheia quadrisetosa sp. n. (2); UA- 442, Vertheia sp. 1 (3); K- 800, Cephennodes sp. 1 (4); K- 6011, Cephennomicrus giganteus sp. n. (5); K- 8289, Cephennomicrus sp. 1 (6); K- 7010, Cephennomicrus sp. 2 (7); K- 27565, Cephennomicrus sp. 3 (8); K- 8912, Cephennomicrus sp. 4 (9); DU- 32, Cephennomicrus sp. 5 (10); K- 5770, Glaesoconnus unicus sp. n. (11); K- 9579, Rovnoscydmus frontalis sp. n. (12); K- 347, Rovnoscydmus microscopicus sp. n. (13); K- 25702, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 1 (14); K- 26348, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 2 (15); UA- 1556, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 3 (16); K- 8970, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 4 (17); K- 8968, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 5 (18); K- 7350, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 6 (19); K- 3037, Rovnoscydmus sp. specimen 7 (20).

FIGURES 56 – 60. Vertheia sp. 1 (UA- 442). Approximately anterodorsal view (56, 57), lateral view (58), ventral view of head and posteroventral view of thorax and abdomen (59, 60).

FIGURES 61 – 64. Vertheia sp. 1 (UA- 442). Anterodorsal (61), dorsal (62), ventral (63) and lateral (64) view. Abbreviations: abg, antebasal groove; abi, antebasal impression; bst, basisternal part of prosternum; bsti, basistipes; fr, frons; frp, frontal pits; gp, gular plate; mn, mentum; msvp, mesoventral intercoxal process; mtvp, metaventral intercoxal process; mxp 2 – 4, maxillary palpomere II – IV; nr, ' neck' region; occ, occipital constriction; ppf, palpifer; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn, submentum; st 3 – 8, abdominal sternite III – VIII; tm, temple; v 3, metaventrite; vt, vertex.