Tetraphalerus ponomarenkoi, Soriano & Delclòs, 2006

Soriano, Carmen & Delclòs, Xavier, 2006, New cupedid beetles from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain and the palaeogeography of the family, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (1), pp. 185-200 : 186

Tetraphalerus ponomarenkoi sp. nov.

Figs. 1A , 2A .

1993 Coleoptera (Cupedidae) ; Martínez−Delclòs and Ruíz de Loizaga: fig. 4.

Type locality: Las Hoyas fossil site, La Cierva, Serranía de Cuenca , Cuenca Province, Spain .

Stratigraphic horizon: Second lithosome of finely laminated limestones of La Huérguina Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Barremian (Fregenal−Martínez and Meléndez 2000).

Derivation of the name: After the Russian palaeoentomologist A.G. Ponomarenko.

Material.— Holotype MCCM LH 78 , part and counterpart, from Las Hoyas fossil site in Serranía de Cuenca (Cuenca Province, Spain). Well preserved specimen, lacking part of antennae and fore legs.

Diagnosis.—One of the largest species of the genus. The presence of two prominences in the vertex ascribes this species to Tetraphalerus bruchi series. From other large species of this series ( T. collaris Ponomarenko, 1997 ) differs in the length of the head and pronotum, and the relation between the last abdominal segment and the previous one.

Description.—Measurements: length 20.4 mm; width 8.7 mm; elytra length 12.7 mm. Body large and elongate. Head somewhat elongate, about 1.4 times as long as wide, narrowed roundly after eyes; temples 1.5 times longer than eyes, not projected laterally, vertex with two oval flat prominences, with their posterior edge broadened. Eyes comparatively short. Scape about 1.5 times longer than antennomeres 2–4. Neck−like constriction clear, almost as long as the occipital part of head. Pronotum slightly transverse, about 1.5 times as wide as long, lateral edges flattened, anterior and posterior angles rounded; pronotal disc with two longitudinal grooves. Prosternum transverse. Procoxae rounded and contiguous. Mesosternum slightly transverse, quite wider than longer, with big depression before mesocoxae. Mesocoxae longer than wider, narrowing anteriorly, trochantin rounded. Metasternum transverse, about 1.4 times as wide as long, with longitudinal and transverse sutures clearly expressed. Metacoxae sub−triangular, abruptly narrowed laterally. Abdomen with 5 visible ventrites, last ventrite about 1.4 times as long as previous one. Elytra about 4.5 times as long as wide, epipleural rim narrow, with rows of tubercles. Meso− and metafemora narrowed at 2/3 of its length. Tibiae as long as femora. Body covered with tubercles, larger on head and pronotum, and smaller in abdomen.

Figures

Fig. 1. Camera lucida drawings of Barremian (Early Cretaceous) ommatin Tetraphalerus from Spain. A. Tetraphalerus ponomarenkoi sp. nov. Holotype MCCM LH 78a, part, Las Hoyas, Cuenca Province, dorsal (A1) and ventral (A2) aspects. B. Tetraphalerus penalveri sp. nov. Holotype DEPGM LP 0058b, counterpart, La Pedrera, Lleida Province, dorsal (B1) and ventral (B2) aspects. Scale bars 2 mm.

Fig. 2. Barremian (Early Cretaceous) ommatins Tetraphalerus, Cionocoleus (both Ommatini), Brochocoleus (Brochocoleini), and Zygadenia (Notocupedini) from Spain. A. Tetraphalerus ponomarenkoi sp. nov. Holotype MCCM LH 78a, part, Las Hoyas, Cuenca Province. B. Tetraphalerus penalveri sp. nov. Holotype DEPGM LP 0058b, counterpart, La Pedrera, Lleida Province. C. Cionocoleus longicapitis sp. nov. Holotype IEI LP 0164G, La Pedrera, Lleida Province. D. Brochocoleus indibili sp. nov. Holotype IEI LC 4636a, part, La Cabrúa, Lleida Province. E. Zygadenia viridis sp. nov. Holotype MCCM LH 1805a, part, Las Hoyas, Cuenca Province. F. Zygadenia oculata sp. nov. Holotype IEI LC 3675a, part, La Cabrúa, Lleida Province. Scale bars 2 mm.