The earliest beetle with mouthparts specialized for feeding on nectar is a parasitoid of mid-Cretaceous Hymenoptera
Author
Batelka, Jan
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, ViniČná 7, 128 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic
janbat@centrum.cz
Author
Prokop, Jakub
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, ViniČná 7, 128 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic
text
BMC Ecology and Evolution
2021
207
2021-11-22
21
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1
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12862-021-01930-6
journal article
10.1186/s12862-021-01930-6
b2e4e166-7297-45a5-82eb-84937eb7233a
PMC8607574
34809578
5733385
Melanosiagon
gen. nov.
Type species.
Melanosiagonserraticornis
sp. nov.
Etymology
. Generic name is a combination of the black appearance of the specimen (Greek μελάνω) and the generic name
Macrosiagon
[
28
]. Feminine in gender. Te name is registeredunder ZooBank LSID urn:lsid:zoobank. org:act:46B9D135-5214-4999-9F2B-0BF4133F5F7F.
Diagnosis.
Tis genus is characterized by having a long and slender body, long elytra, acute, convex and partially dehiscent, small head, strongly flattened antero-posteriorly with vertex transversely planar, specialized mouthparts with elongated galea, bilobed ligula covered by bristles, prominent tibial spurs, tibial spur formula 2-2-2, antennae 11-segmented, mesonotal and metanotal legs with erect stiff spiniform setae, pretarsal claws serrate, abdominal segments laterally compressed, apical fields on hind wings with secondary “ghost” branches (sensu [
26
]: 186) and apices of hind wings asymmetrically overlapping in resting position.