Cantharis (Cantharis) borki, Fanti & Damgaard, 2019

Fanti, Fabrizio & Damgaard, Anders Leth, 2019, New soldier beetles (Cantharidae) from Baltic, Burmese and Dominican ambers of the Anders Damgaard amber collection, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 19 (2), pp. 101-125 : 102-103

Cantharis (Cantharis) borki sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 - 2 )

Holotype. Male, in Baltic amber, accession No. ALDC0534 /ALD. Ba.Can. 26

Type locality. Poland: Baltic Sea coast, Gdańsk, Wisła River estuary area between Mikoszewo and Sztutowo villages.

Type horizon. Middle Eocene (Lutetian) (47.8- 41.2 MY) to Late Eocene (Priabonian) (37.8-33.9 MY). Prussian Formation.

Differential diagnosis. Of the genus Cantharis are already known two fossil species from the Miocene of Oeningen, Germany, and four taxa from the Oligocene of Rott, Germany, and also one species from the Miocene of Radoboj, Croatia (Fanti 2017). While, other five taxa from Baltic amber: C. sucinonigra Kuśka, 1992 , C. sucinokotejai ( Kuśka, 1996) , C. hanswerneri Kazantsev, 2018 , C. mikkelsenorum Fanti & Damgaard, 2018 , and C. dougi Kupryjanowicz & Fanti, 2019 are easily distinguishables to Cantharis borki sp. nov. for the bigger dimensions: 6-10.5 mm and for the different color and/or pronotal shape ( Kuśka 1992, 1996; Fanti & Damgaard 2018; Kazantsev 2018; Kupryjanowicz & Fanti 2019). Furthermore, C. borki sp. nov. is slightly bigger to C. hoffeinsorum Kazantsev, 2018 (4.5 mm instead of 3.3 mm) and has the pronotum less rounded at sides.

Description. Adult, winged, minute. Male on the basis of the last sternite triangular-shaped and narrower than last tergite. Dark brown with head blackish-brown and legs brown-testaceous. Body length: 4.5 mm.

Head completely exposed, elongate, covered with small punctation and several sparce and long setae. Eyes rounded, convex and prominent, inserted in the lateral part (and near the middle) of the head, inter-ocular dorsal distance about 1.8 times greater than eye diameter. Mandibles long, brown, elongate, robust, thin apically, without teeth. Maxillary palpi 4-segmented, first palpomere short and robust, second elongate and cylindrical, third shorter than previous, last segment elongate and securiform. Labial palpi 3- segmented with the last palpomere securiform. Antennae inserted not near the eyes, 11-segmented, filiform, relative short, reaching and slightly surpassing the elytral half; scape club-shaped; pedicel very short, stout and enlarged apically, 2.0 times shorter than third article; antennomere III filiform; antennomeres IV-IX filiform, subequal in length, longer than antennomere III; antennomere X filiform, shorter than previous; antennomere XI, elongate, rounded at apex; all antennomeres with long and raised setae. Pronotum as large as head, rather elongate, concave in the middle, surface smooth equipped with very long and raised setae, sides straight and slightly bordered, anterior margin rounded and not bordered, posterior margin almost straight and strongly bordered. Scutellum triangular-shaped. Elytra wider than pronotum at humeri, as wide as pronotum after the humeri, long, reaching and slightly surpassing the last abdominal segments, rounded and wider at apex, surface smooth covered by several and long setae. Posterior wings dark brown, as long as elytra, folded between the tergites and elytra. Sternum and abdominal segments dark-brown; metasternum subquadrate covered with setae, sternites transverse and pubescent, last tergite slightly elongate and rounded at apex, last sternite triangular-shaped and narrow. Legs covered with pubescence; coxae massive, elongate; trochanters inserted ventrally to the femora, elongate and rounded at apex; femora enlarged, robust, short, slightly curved; tibiae very elongate, longer than femora, cylindrical and thin; tarsi 5- segmented equipped with setae; first tarsomere elongate and slightly enlarged apically; second tarsomere about 1.7 times shorter than first; third tarsomere short, slightly bilobed at sides with lobes apically rounded and short; fourth bilobed; fifth thin and very elongate, slightly enlarged basally and apically; claws simple, very long, with short and robust tooth at the base. Aedeagus not visible. Female unknown.

Etymology. In honor of Noah Bork, a famous Danish amber collector (grandson of Karin Nordmann).

Syninclusions. Diptera (six specimens), a small spider, two cicada nymphs (one partially cut, and barely visible), several debris, and air bubbles.

Remarks. The amber piece measures 47 x 31 x 8 mm, and the inclusion is complete, and well visible. The legs are curled up under the body.

Figures

Fig. 1. Cantharis (Cantharis)borki sp. nov. ALDC0534/ALD.Ba.Can.26 in Baltic amber.A: Holotype, dorso-lateral view, bar = 1.0 mm; B: Holotype, lateral view, bar = 500 μm; C: Holotype, detail of head, sternum and first abdominal segments (lateral view), bar = 500 μm; D: Holotype, detail of apex of elytra, bar = 200 μm.

Fig. 2. Cantharis (Cantharis) borki sp. nov. No. ALDC0534/ALD.Ba.Can.26 in Baltic amber. A: Holotype, detail of head and palpi, bar = 100 μm; B: Holotype, detail of pronotum, bar = 200 μm; C: Holotype, detail of sternum and legs, bar = 400 μm; D: Holotype, detail of antenna, bar = 500 μm.