Uskatocoleus turensis Yan & Strelnikova, 2025

Yan, Evgeny V., Felker, Anastasia S. & Strelnikova, Olesya D., 2025, Early Triassic beetle fauna (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Eastern Siberian locality Alisa quarry showing late Permian taxa composition, Zootaxa 5715 (1), pp. 494-518 : 508

Uskatocoleus turensis Yan & Strelnikova , sp. nov.

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( Fig. 6 )

Material. Holotype — PIN, No. 5890/1, part and counterpart, a pair of interlocked elytra with mesothorax(mesonotum and mesoscutellum), abdominal apex and mesotarsus—partially preserved . Paratypes: PIN, No. 5890/5 and PIN, No. 5890/7, parts and counterparts of isolated elytra, right and left respectively.

Locality and horizon. Alisa locality, Nidym Formation, Lower Triassic.

Diagnosis. Scutellum large, semicircular, only slightly shorter than 1/2 of elytral tongue`s (schiza) length; scutellar incision on the sutural margin near elytral base, forms a weak protrusion. Humerus forms almost right angle. Elytra`s undersides bear very long elytral tongue, as long as 1/5 of elytral overall length, slightly outwardly curved. Elytron`s apices flattened.

Description. Elongated elytron with round bases, proximal 2/3 of the length—parallel-sided, then gradually narrowing posteriorly, distal third oblique, width to length ratio 1:5. Elytral surface uniformly covered with punctures, inner structures (columellae also visible on the elytral surface as bigger punctures). Humeral bulges indistinct. Elytron`s tongues located at the midlength. Elytron edged, which is slightly thicker around humerus, at basal ¼ and at the rounded apex.

Remnants of M, Cu veinal systems and bases of A are present.

Mesocoxae transverse, slightly oblique, contiguous. X-shaped metathoracic scutoscutellar suture is partially visible. Apical abdominal ventrite subtrapezoid, almost as long as penultimate sternite, abdominal length makes less than a half of elytral length.

Measurements (in mm). Holotype —elytral length 7.1 (measured without elytron`s basal attachment protrusions), maximum width 1.6; paratype PIN, No. 5890/5—length 9.5, width 2.7; paratype PIN, No. 5890/7— length 9.1, width 2.8.

Etymology. After Tura village, nearest settlement to Alisa quarry, where types specimens were found.

Remarks. Attributed to Uskatocoleus for having finely sculptured elytral surface, well defined humeral bulge and straight interlocking longitudinal protrusion (“schiza”).

As an elytra-only family, Schizocoleidae possess very few diagnostic characters, specimens are mainly divided into taxa by locality and age.

Cuticle on PIN, No. 5890/1 could been rather thin, since remnants of hindwing venation could be observed.

Comparison. Similar to Uskatocoleus zalesskyi Rohdendorf, 1961 in having long elytral tongue, but differs in lacking of fine longitudinal stria and having twice the length. Similar to U. angustior Rohdendorf, 1961 in having long elytral tongue, but differs in twice the length, having concave elytral tongue and parallel-sided 2/3 of basal elytral length. Differs from Rossocoleus verrucosus Rohdendorf, 1961 , R. latus Rohdendorf, 1961 and R. latior Rohdendorf, 1961 in twice the length. Differs from Rhombocoleites uralensis Ponomarenko, 2013 in having longer elytral tongue and apical abdominal sternite half as long.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Uskatocoleus turensis Yan & Strelnikova, sp. nov., the holotype PIN, No. 5890/1, photograph (A, B), paratype PIN, No. 5890/5 photograph (C), paratype PIN, No. 5890/7 electron micrograph (D) and interpretative line drawings of the holotype with dorsal and ventral characters visible (E, F) Scale bars = 1.0 mm.