Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng, 2017

Hsiao, Yun, Yu, Yali, Deng, Congshuang & 4, Hong Pang, 2017, The first fossil wedge-shaped beetle (Coleoptera, Ripiphoridae) from the middle Jurassic of China, European Journal of Taxonomy 277, pp. 1-13 : 4-8

Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F5AFB48F-0494-4CEC-B7F6-2B1742AC4F34

Figs 1–4

Diagnosis

As for the genus (vide supra). In particular this species resembles the extant ptilophorine species, Trigonodera tokejii (Nomura & Nakane, 1959) in general appearance ( Fig. 5 ), from which it differs by

its shorter antennae and terminal maxillary palpomere, wider pronotum anteriorly, shorter elytra, and tibial edges without spiniform seta apically.

Etymology

The specific name honors the great goddess in the ancient Chinese mythology, Nüwa, who created mankind and saved humanity from a major catastrophe by using the five-colored stones to repair the damage to the pillar of heaven caused by the water god, Gonggong.

Type material

Holotype

CHINA: nearly complete specimen in dorsal position; sex unknown ( CNU-C-NN-2006841 ).

Type locality

CHINA: NE China, Daohugou, Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia.

Type horizon

Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic, about 165 Ma ( Gao & Ren 2006).

Description

BODY ( Figs 1–2 ). Length 15.5 mm, width 5.0 mm, head length 2.0 mm, antennal length 3.4 mm, pronotum length 3.5 mm, pronotum width 4.0 mm, elytra length 10.0 mm. Surface densely covered with fine pubescence ( Fig. 3E ).

HEAD ( Fig. 3A ). Small and elongate, abruptly constricted posteriorly to form broad neck; surface sparsely punctate. Eyes oval, shallowly emarginate, distinctly separated from each other, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1.00:1.65; surface finely faceted. Frontoclypeal suture indistinct. Apical margin of clypeus slightly sinuate. Labrum rounded, subquadrate. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate securiform, about 4.0 times as long as minimum width. Antennal insertions widely separated, exposed from above. Antennae 11-segmented. Scape and pedicel very short, antennomere III strongly elongate, IV to X rectangular or trapezoidal, antennomere XI with pointed apex ( Fig. 3D ). Length ratio of antennomeres as follows: 1.20:1.00:2.30:1.35:1.20:1.35:1.10:0.90:0.90:0.90:1.45.

PROTHORAX ( Fig. 3B ). Almost triangular, about 0.88 times as long as wide, slightly narrower than elytra at base, tapering anteriorly; anterior margin truncate and straight; anterior angles rounded and indistinct, posterior margin trilobed, with posterior angles moderately protruding and obtuse; dorsal surface densely punctate. Scutellar shield minute, angulate apically.

ELYTRA ( Fig. 3C ). About 2 times as long as wide, lateral sides slightly narrowing posteriorly; surface densely and regularly punctate. Abdomen with five tergites and ventrites.

LEGS. Long and slender; tibiae moderately widening apically, without spiniform seta at apices, tibial spur formula 1-1-2 ( Fig. 4 A–F); tarsi slender, tarsal formula 5-5-4; tarsus nearly as long as tibiae in fore and mid legs, slightly shorter than tibiae in hind legs; tarsomeres cylindrical, hind tarsomere I slightly longer than tarsomeres II and III combined. Claws slightly pectinate ( Figs 4 G–H).

Figures

Fig. 1. Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng gen. et sp. nov., holotype, habitus, dorsal view. Scale bar = 5.0 mm. Photograph of dry specimen.

Fig. 2. Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng gen. et sp. nov., holotype. A. Photograph of complete specimen. B. Habitus drawing. Scale bars = 5.0 mm.

Fig. 3. Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng gen. et sp. nov., holotype. A. Head. B. Prothorax. C. Elytron. D. Antenna. E. Photograph of the surface of the body. Scale bars: A–C = 1.0 mm; D = 0.1 mm; E = 0.5 mm. The black arrows indicate the magnified portions.

Fig. 4. Archaeoripiphorus nuwa Hsiao, Yu & Deng gen. et sp. nov., holotype. A–F. Tibial spurs (indicated by the red arrows). A–B. Fore leg. C–D. Mid leg. E–F. Hind leg. G–H. Tarsal claw of mid leg. A, C, E, G. Photographs. B, D, F, H. Hand drawings. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 5. An extant species of Ptilophorinae, Trigonodera tokejii (Nomura & Nakane, 1959). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Antenna. Scale bars: A–B = 5.0 mm; C–D = 1.0 mm.