Hukawngichthyurus barsevskisi, Fanti & Müller, 2022

Fanti, Fabrizio & Müller, Patrick, 2022, Fossil Cantharidae from the Cretaceous Burmese (Kachin) amber of the Patrick Müller collection, and taxonomic information, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 22 (2), pp. 331-380 : 340-341

Hukawngichthyurus barsevskisi sp. nov.

( Fig. 5 )

Holotype. Male, adult specimen in a Burmese (Kachin) amber piece: Catalog number SNSB­BSPG 2021 XII 19 in the Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (ex Müller’s collection number: BUB4328 ).

Type locality. Myanmar: Kachin state, Myitkyina District, Hukawng Valley.

Type horizon. Lowermost Cenomanian (98.79 ± 0.62 Ma), mid­Cretaceous.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is distinguishable from other Hukawngichthyurus by its pectinate antennae. We attribute this new species to this genus on the basis of the very short and irregular antennomeres II–III, for the pronotum with depressions and for the last abdominal segments in a kind of “fish tail.” The antennae are often a variable character. For example, in the fossil genus Sanaungulus , there are species with pectinate or filiform antennae. Unlike what Yang et al. (2021) say about Sanaungulus ruicheni ( Hsiao & Huang, 2018) , this is not a distinguishing character, being extremely variable even in living genera.

Description. Adult, alate, slender. Male, for the shape of the last abdominal segment. Entirely dark brown. Body length: 3.4 mm.

Head rounded, convex, slightly restricted behind the eyes, surface with shallow punctation and short setae. Eyes large and prominent, subelliptical, inserted laterally to the head. Rostrum elongated. Mandibles falciform. Maxillary palps 4­ segmented, last palpomere securiform with rounded apex. Labial palps 3­ segmented, last palpomere stout and slightly securiform.Antennae 11­ segmented, relatively short, pectinate, surpassing the half of elytra and reaching the half of abdomen, insertion of the antennae close to the eyes and in their lower part; scape robust, elongated, club­shaped; antennomere II very short, moniliform­globular, asymmetrical; antennomere III short, sturdier and longer than second, slightly irregular­distorted; antennomeres IV–X pectinate, equipped with a lobe which is very long (longer than antennomeres), rounded at apex and inserted in the basal part of antennomeres; antennomere XI filiform, rounded at apex; all antennomeres punctate with not erected and very short setae. Pronotum transverse, slightly wider than head, anterior margin undulate, posterior margin undulate and bordered, sides irregular (almost straight), surface irregular with draft and depressions (particularly near the anterior margin) and equipped with short setae. Scutellum triangular. Elytra wider than pronotum, parallel­sided, rounded and slightly dehiscent at apex, rather short and revealing the last three abdominal segments, surface smooth without punctation, equipped with few little and thin striae. Metathoracic wings transparent, folded, very slightly surpassing the elytra. Metasternum sub­quadrate; sternites transverse. Last urite with an apical lobe in each side, which is extremely long, thin, with rounded apex. Legs slender, rather long, with pubescence; coxae elongated and robust; trochanters globular­shaped, irregular, with apex rounded; femora robust and not curved, almost flat, sturdier and longer than tibiae; tibiae cylindrical, thin, without spurs at apex. Tarsal formula 5­ 5­ 5; first tarsomere elongated, about 1.2 times longer than second; second tarsomere thin at base and slightly enlarged apically; third tarsomere triangular and shorter than second; fourth tarsomere bilobed with the lobes very long and not particularly wide; fifth tarsomere very long; claws simple without denticles or lobes.

Etymology. Named in honor of ArvÓds Barševskis (Daugavpils University, Latvia), dear friend of the first author.

Syninclusions. Remains of another soldier beetle, air bubbles, detritus.

Remarks. Piece of clear, golden amber that measures 11x9x 3 mm.The inclusion is complete except for the left anterior leg preserved until the tibia.

Figures

Fig. 5. Hukawngichthyurus barsevskisi sp. nov. in Burmese amber. A–B: Holotype, dorso­lateral views.