Description of the first flightless platynine ground beetle preserved in Baltic amber (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Author
Will, Kipling
text
Zootaxa
2017
2017-06-06
4318
1
110
122
journal article
32193
10.11646/zootaxa.4318.1.4
b87d843d-1458-487b-ac2e-4071e7e66f62
1175-5326
885700
71699C18-6Fd3-4021-80Ce-5E1928575F67
Praeanchodemus punctaticeps
sp.
n.
FigS. 1-18
.
Holotype
.
Female in Baltic amber;
Size
of amber piece 14.0 x 7.0 x
6.5 mm
, with collection number BB-1752-K in StaatlicheS
MuSeum
für
Naturkunde
,
Stuttgart
,
Germany
(
Fig. 4
).
Preservation status.
The amber piece iS clear and in a good conServation State, however, the embedded
Platynini
foSSil iS only partly viSible uSing light microScopy due to Several flowlineS adjoining the beetle body (
FigS 1-3
). Six (left antenna) reSpectively three (right antenna) apical antennomereS are loSt. The hind coxa iS covered by milky coating. The left elytron appearS artificially inflated. The foSSilized exoSkeleton of the Specimen iS in partS markedly Shrunken and thuS diSSociated from the incluSion wall (
FigS. 8-11
). However, moSt detailS of diagnoStic importance of the external morphology could be reconStructed baSed on both, the remainS of the foSSilized exoSkeleton and the negative imprint of the beetle body on the incluSion wall, uSing micro-CT (
FigS. 5- 17
).
Syninclusions.
No SynincluSionS except for a few dirt particleS.
Description.
See diagnoSiS and deScription chapterS of the monotypic genuS above.
MeaSurementS: Body length
5.4 mm
; length of head (from tip of half-opened mandible to cervical collar)
1.1 mm
; width of head between eyeS
0.9 mm
; length of pronotum along midline
1.05 mm
; width of pronotum
1.3 mm
; length of right elytron (from baSe of Scutellum to apex)
3.3 mm
; maximum width of right elytron
0.9 mm
. ConSequently, the maximum width of elytra Should be approximately
1.5 mm
; the inflated left elytron waS not meaSured.
ProportionS: Width of pronotum/width of head = 1.43; width/length of pronotum = 1.23; width of pronotum/ width of pronotal baSe between laterobaSal angleS = 1.22; length/width of elytra uSing two timeS width of right elytron = 1.64; width of pronotum/ width of elytra uSing two timeS width of right elytron = 1.40.
Colour: Unicoloured dark and Shiny, probably Slightly metallic, however, not clearly diStinguiShable in the foSSil Specimen.
Etymology.
The SpecieS epithet referS to the markedly punctate head which iS a conSpicuouS character of the new taxon.