Serangium Blackburn, 1889

Szawaryn, Karol, 2019, Unexpected diversity of whitefly predators in Eocene Baltic amber-new fossil Serangium species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Zootaxa 4571 (2), pp. 270-276 : 271-273

Genus Serangium Blackburn, 1889

Type species: Serangium mysticum Blackburn, 1889 , by monotypy.

Serangium kalandyki sp. nov.

Figs 1–3 .

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:165827C0-0929-448E-8597-DEEABB18ACD9

Etymology. The species name is an honorific for Mr. Wojciech Kalandyk, collector of the amber piece containing the holotype and donator of a large collection of amber inclusions to the Museum of Amber Inclusions at the University of Gdańsk.

Type material. Holotype, MAIG, No. 1535 ( Fig. 1 ). Reference IR curves No. MAIG 1535 IR ( Fig. 2 ) and deposited in MAIG, International Amber Association database curve No. 13835. Piece of Baltic amber transparent yellow, anterior and anterior left part of the ventral side of the beetle inclusion covered with milky veil. Cuticle black, without any trace of maculation. Amber piece donated by Wojciech Kalandyk, beetle inclusion determined as Coccinellidae by Daniel Kubisz. Syninclusions: Arachnida: Acari (2 specimens); Diptera : Chironomidae (1 specimen); Diptera : Sciaridae (1 specimen).

Locality and Horizon. Eocene, Lutetian, Baltic amber, Jantarnyj area (secondary deposit) ( Wappler 2005).

Diagnosis. Serangium kalandyki sp. nov. is most similar to S. gedanicum Szawaryn & Szwedo, 2018 in possesing a setiferous elytral disc, metaventrite as long as ventrites 1–4 combined, and deeply marked elytral foveae for reception of hind femora. It differs in that the elytral margin is visible throughout from above, with a row of long sparse setae on the outer margin. S. gedanicum possesses a barely visible elytral margin from above with a row of short sparse setae on outer margin.

Description. Total length = 1.47 mm, total width = 1.19 mm, elytral length = 1.18 mm, pronotal length = 0.39 mm, pronotal width = 0.77 mm, body high = 0.68 mm. Body oval ( Fig. 1B ), strongly convex, hemispherical ( Fig. 1E ); elytral margins entirely visible. Wings visible apically.

Head hypognathous, retracted, not clearly visible. Antenna not visible.

Pronotum transverse, covered with punctures, glabrous, shiny; with raised border along basal margin ( Fig. 1B ). Prothoracic hypomeron posteriorly with deep delimited fovea for reception of folded antennae and retracted forelegs. Prosternum large, elevated, prominent anteriorly, forming anteriorly rounded, broad chin piece concealing mouthparts from below ( Fig. 1D ); prosternal process smooth. Mesoventrite with mesoventral process strongly transverse, very short ( Fig. 1G ), anterior margin with complete raised border; meso-metaventral junction with suture visible; mesoventral process broader than mesocoxal diameter. Metaventrite transverse, as long as abdominal ventrites 1–4 combined ( Fig. 1G ); metaventral postcoxal lines joined medially, complete, extending to metanepisternum.

Scutellar shield small, triangular, glabrous ( Fig. 1B ).

Elytral surface covered with sparsely distributed punctures, each bearing short seta ( Fig. 1C ); outer margin with row of sparse, long setae ( Fig. 1B ), sutural line not present. Epipleura incomplete apically, inclined throughout, reaching about base of 5 th abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 1A ), with foveae to accommodate apices of mid, hind femora, foveae for hind femora deep, reaching about 2/3 epipleural width ( Fig. 1F ).

Abdomen with five ventrites: ventrites 1 and 5 each longer than ventrites 2 and 3 combined, ventrite 5 rounded, not crenulated, not grooved laterally ( Fig. 1F ). Postcoxal lines complete, reaching lateral margin of ventrite ( Fig. 1A ).

Legs short, not reaching outer margin of elytra ( Fig. 1A ); coxae large, about half length of femora; femora, especially profemur, broad, flattened ( Fig. 1D ), mid and hind femora closely fitting into depression on meso- and metaventrite ( Fig. 1F ); tibiae externally angulate medially ( Fig. 1A, F ); tarsi four-segmented ( Fig. 1F ); tarsal claws toothed at base.

Sex undetermined. Genitalia not visible.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Serangium kalandyki sp. nov,. holotype MAIG 1535; A) habitus, ventral view; B) habitus, dorsal view; C) magnification of small scale-like setae on dorsal surface of elytra; D) pronotum and fore legs; E) habitus, lateral view; F) abdomen, hind elytral fovea and hind leg; G) meso and metaventrite.

FIGURE 2. FT-IR spectra of analysed amber piece MAIG 1535; upper = reflectance spectrum; lower = absorbance spectrum.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Serangium. Green color = extant species; red = Baltic amber deposits. Numbers indicate number of extant species, value in square indicates number of fossil species.