Usechus Motschulsky, 1845

ALEKSEEV, VITALII, MCKELLAR, RYAN C. & BUKEJS, ANDRIS, 2024, A revision and addition to Zopheridae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) in Baltic amber: possible connections between modern Holarctic distributions and Eocene ‘ amber forests’, Zootaxa 5536 (2), pp. 201-247 : 203

Genus Usechus Motschulsky, 1845

Type species: Usechus lacerta Motschulsky, 1845

Taxonomic assignment. The studied inclusion is placed in the subfamily Zopherinae within the family Zopheridae based on the combination of the following characters:(1) antennae 11-segmented with 3-segmented club; (2) antennal insertions concealed under lateral expansion of frons; (3) 5-5-4 tarsal formula; (4) abdominal ventrite 1 slightly longer than ventrite 2; and (5) intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite 1 arcuate apically. The fossil specimen is assigned to the tribe Usechini based on the unique character of the group, namely possessing deep anterolateral antennal cavities on the pronotum. Externally closed procoxal cavities and pronotal disc without transverse basal groove suggest placement in the genus Usechus . Despite several characters of ventral side not being discernible in the beetle under study, we place the new species in Usechus based on the presence of the above-listed set of external characters.