Aphebodactyla rhetine, Chatzimanolis & Cashion & Engel & Falin, 2012

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, Cashion, Molly E., Engel, Michael S. & Falin, Zachary H., 2012, A new genus of Ptilodactylidae (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea) in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burma), Geodiversitas 34 (3), pp. 569-574 : 572

Aphebodactyla rhetine n. sp. ( Figs 1 ; 2 )

HOLOTYPE. — KU-NHM-ENT Bu-006 labeled “Amber: Myanmar (Burma), Middle Cretaceous (Cenomanian) [actually latest Albian], Kachin: Tanai Village (on Ledo Rd. 105 km NW Myitkyna), coll. Leeward Capital Corp. ” and “ HOLOTYPE, Aphebodactyla rhetine Chatzimanolis, Cashion, Engel, & Falin ”. Housed in the Fossil Insect Collection, Division of Entomology , University of Kansas Natural History Museum , Lawrence , Kansas.

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet is taken from the Greek term “ rhetine ”, meaning “resin”, and referring to preservation of this species in Burmese amber.

DIAGNOSIS. — As for the genus (vide supra).

DESCRIPTION

Male

As for the genus with the following additional attributes: integument rufo-testaceous. Head width 0.5mm, deeply withdrawn into prothorax; distance between compound eyes slightly less than width of compound eye; compound eyes reaching pleurosternal suture. Antennal length 2.5mm, scape longer than wide, pedicel shorter than scape, subquadrate; antennomeres III-X subequal in length, with rami originating from base, each slightly longer than previous antennomere; antennomere XI apically rounded; antennomeres heavily setose. Pronotal width at base 1.5mm, pronotal length 0.75 mm, densely punctured, setae directed medio-posteriorly.Mesoscutellar length 0.15 mm. Elytra length 2.25 mm, width 1.7 mm, with apparently 11 striae on each side; distance between punctures equal to diameter of one puncture; setae along margin of elytra directed laterally, setae covering elytra directed medio-posteriorly. Legs densely setose; pro- and mesotibia with two large spines at distal margin; hind legs appearing longer than either mid- or forelegs. Aedeagus elongate, apically rounded; parameres lying close to median lobe, inner margins microdentate.

Female

Unknown.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Photomicrographs of holotype male of Aphebodactyla rhetine n. gen., n. sp. (SEMC Bu-006): A, dorsal habitus; B, ventral habitus. Total length of specimen: 3.25 mm, excluding the aedeagus.

FIG. 2. — Photomicrographs of holotype male of Aphebodactyla rhetine n. gen., n. sp. (SEMC Bu-006): A, facial aspect; B, dorsal aspect of pronotum; C, detail of antennae (anterior to the left); D, detail of elytra; E, detail of mesoscutellum and medioposterior section of pronotum; F, detail of aedeagus, dorsal aspect; G, detail of aedeagus, ventral aspect. Scale bars: A, B, 0.6 mm; C, 0.4 mm; D, 1.1 mm; E, 0.56 mm; F, G, 0.5 mm.