Sanaungulus dunlopi, 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 : 345-347

Sanaungulus dunlopi sp. nov.

( Fig. 8 )

Holotype. Female, adult specimen in a Burmese (Kachin) amber piece: Catalog number SNSB­BSPG 2021 XII 68 in the Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (ex Müller’s collection number: BUB3886 ).

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 characterized by an elongated pronotum with a strongly rounded anterior margin, and it is equipped with robust antennomeres. The genus Sanaungulus is characterized by very short elytra often with deep punctuation arranged in striae, and by a head restricted behind eyes.

Description. Adult, winged, slender. Female, defined on the shape of the last abdominal segments, and on the basis of short antennae. Body length about 3.2 mm (the body is curled). Entirely brown.

Head short, constricted (triangular­shaped) behind the eyes, smooth, without punctuation, fitted with few long setae. Eyes very prominent, large, roundish, inserted in the lateral part of the head, inter­ocular dorsal distance about 1.3 times greater than eye diameter. Mandibles elongated, falciform. Maxillary palps 4­ segmented, with the last palpomere securiform.Antennae 11­ segmented, filiform, robust, short, slightly surpassing the middle of the elytra; scape very elongated and club­shaped; antennomere II short; antennomeres III–VIII subequal in length, very robust, without antennal process, enlarged at the external corner which is rounded; antennomere IX approximately as long as previous ones, slightly narrower; antennomere X narrower than previous one, slightly enlarged at the external corner; antennomere XI eleongated, strongly squared apically; antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum very elongated, very slightly narrower than head, anterior margin strongly rounded and bordered, posterior margin rather straight and slightly bordered, corners rather acute, sides straight and slightly bordered, pronotum disc not flat and very slightly wrinkled with shallow punctuation. Scutellum triangular­shaped with pointed apex. Elytra very short which reveals many abdominal segments, wider than pronotum at humery, strongly dehiscent posteriorly, rounded apexes, surface strongly ruguose equipped with several short setae. Metathoracic wings transparent, very short, very slightly surpassing the elytra. Sternum elongated with posterior margin rounded, sternites strongly transverse, robust, equipped with short setae; last tergite short, wide, emarginate at apex; last sternite transverse, robust, short, as long as last tergite, with the posterior margin straight. Legs thin, pro­ and mesolegs short, metalegs elongated and slender, pubescent; coxae massive; trochanters elongated and rounded apically; femora nearly straight, slightly sturdier than tibiae (expecially the metafemora); tibiae cylindrical, thin, without spurs near the apex, shorter than femora. Tarsal formula 5­ 5­ 5; first tarsomere elongated and thin; second tarsomere slightly shorter than first; third tarsomere slightly elongated and triangular­shaped; fourth strongly bilobed with the lobes very long; fifth tarsomere elongated, flat and enlarged apically; claws simple, without denticle at the base.

Etymology. Named in honor of Jason A. Dunlop (Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin), a well­known specialist of fossil arachnids and their relatives.

Syninclusions. Air bubbles, detritus.

Remarks. Piece of clear, golden amber that measures 10x9x 3.5 mm. In the inclusion the right antenna and a leg are not visible.

Figures

Fig. 8. Sanaungulus dunlopi sp. nov. in Burmese amber. A: Holotype, dorsal view; B: Holotype, ventro­lateral view.