Sanaungulus franziskaeweissbachae, 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 : 349-350

Sanaungulus franziskaeweissbachae sp. nov.

( Fig. 10 )

Holotype. Probably male, adult specimen in a Burmese (Kachin) amber piece: Catalog number SNSB­BSPG 2021 XII 72 in the Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (ex Müller’s collection number: BUB 3899 ).

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

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

Differential diagnosis. Sanaungulus franziskaeweissbachae sp. nov. is very similar to Sanaungulus nilsi (described in the present work), but the new species differs based on its more robost second antennomere and much longer metathoracic wings. Based on these characters and others of lesser importance, the two specimens are not considered here as male and female of the same species.

Description. Adult, winged, slender. Probably male, defined on the basis of the last abdominal segment triangular shaped. Body length 2.8 mm. Entirely brown.

Head elongated, slightly constricted (triangular­shaped) behind the eyes, equipped with pubescence and shallow punctation. Eyes prominent, extremely large, elongated, inserted in the lateral part of the head.Mandibles elongated, very robust, strongly curved, falciform, pointed apicallly, without teeth. Maxillary palps 4­ segmented with the last palpomere very elongated and securiform. Labial palps 3­ segmented, with the last palpomere elongated and securiform.Antennae 11­ segmented, filiform, rather robust, short, approximately reaching the half of elytra, antennal insertion far from the eyes; scape robust, very elongated, slightly club­shaped; antennomeres II–III short, thinner than first, antennomere II suboval and more robust than antennomere III; antennomeres IV–IX subequal, filiform, very elongated; antennomere X slightly shorter than previous ones; antennomere XI filiform, rounded at apex; all the antennomeres with short pubescence. Pronotum very elongated, slightly narrower than head, anterior margin slightly roundish, posterior margin slightly undulated and slightly bordered, sides straight and bordered, corners obtuse, pronotum disc pubescent and slighlty convex near the posterior margin. Scutellum triangular­shaped. Elytra short which reveals various abdominal segments, at humeri slightly wider than pronotum, posteriorly parallel­sided and rather dehiscent apically, rounded apexes, surface pubescent and with a very small rugosity. Metathoracic wings transparent, very long, longer than elytra and surpassing the last abdominal segments. Sternum elongated with posterior margin rounded, sternites narrow and transverse, last tergite elongated with pointed apex which has the margin rounded, last sternite shorter and narrower than last tergite with pointed apex.Legs thin, extremely long, pubescent; coxae extraordinary massive, elongated, very enlarged; trochanters elongated, with rounded apex; femora slightly curved, more robust than tibiae, sub­cylindrical; tibiae flattened, thin, with a small and obtuse spur near the apex, protibiae very shorter than profemora, meso­ and metatibiae very longer than meso­ and metafemora. Tarsal formula 5­ 5­ 5; first protarsomere long, about 3.0 times longer than second; second protarsomere robust, enlarged apically; third protarsomere short, bilobed with pointed apex; fourth protarsomere strongly bilobed with a pointed and short lobe at each corners; fifth protarsomere elongated, thin, flat and curved; claws simple, without denticle at the base.

Etymology. Named in honor of Franziska Weissbach, dear friend of the second author (Patrick).

Syninclusions. Air bubbles, detritus.

Remarks. Piece of clear, golden amber that measures 11x10x 2 mm.The inclusion is complete, but well visible only in the lateral view.

Figures

Fig. 10. Sanaungulus franziskaeweissbachae sp. nov. in Burmese amber. Holotype, lateral view.