Beetles with Orchid Pollinaria in Dominican and Mexican Amber
Author
George Poinar, Jr.
text
American Entomologist
2016
62
3
172
177
journal article
10.1093/ae/tmw055
42c2df7b-ac89-4f7a-a95f-6470ac40a533
269236
Annulites mexicana
gen. n.,
sp. n.
(
Figs. 4-6
,
7
B)
Diagnosis
: Pollinarium with four separate, segmented pollinia with pollen tetrads arranged in transverse rows.
Description
: Pollinarium with four separate, elongate segmented pollinia
0.5 mm
in length,
0.4 mm
in width (
Figs. 5
,
6
); caudicles reduced; viscidium short; pollen tetrads spherical, from 20 µm–25 µm in diameter, arranged in rows between segments (
Fig. 7
, insert).
Remarks
: All four pollinia are similar in length. The unique annulated structure of the pollinia and their resemblance to representatives of the genus
Solenocentrum
Schltr.
that possess pollinaria with four elongate, segmented pollinia (
Dressler 1993
) is why
Annulites mexicana
gen. n.
, sp. n. is tentatively assigned to the Neotropical Subtribe
Cranichidinae
. The pollinaria are attached to the mouthparts of a ptilodactyline beetle (
Ptilodactyla
sp.) (
Coleoptera
:
Ptilodactylidae
) that is
1.4 mm
in length (
Fig. 5
).