Unexpected findings in the Eocene Baltic amber forests: Ground beetle fossils of the tribe Nebriini (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Author
Schmidt, Joachim
Author
Scholz, Stefan
Author
Kavanaugh, David H.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-11-29
4701
4
350
370
journal article
24776
10.11646/zootaxa.4701.4.2
3f56c3ca-c520-4e2c-9310-95178c282c9d
1175-5326
3558175
6417DB61-737F-443E-B91B-CF1723A891E8
Archaeonebria
Kavanaugh & Schmidt
,
gen. n.
Type
species.
Archaeonebria inexspectata
Schmidt & Kavanaugh
,
gen. n.
,
sp. n.
, fossil species from the Eocene Baltic amber.
Description.
Body length: Rather small with respect to average in nebriine beetles, standardized body length
6.4–7.2 mm
.
Head: Broad and short. Mandibles short (
Figs 31–33
), with scrobal seta present. Labrum with apical margin very slightly concave (as shown by the negative imprint of the labral margin in
Fig. 31
), with a row of six setae near apical margin. Clypeus with one pair of setae in normal position for
Nebriini
. Head with one supraorbital seta each side in normal position for
Nebriini
. Eyes large, moderately protruded laterally. Frons and vertex smooth, without punctures, frontal impressions very shallow, indistinct (
Fig. 31
). Antennae rather short, with 10
th
antennomere extended to the pronotal base; scape moderately robust, moderately narrowed towards base (
Figs 31, 32
); antennomeres 2–11 rather slender (
Figs 8
,
15, 17
); antennal pilosity beginning from the 5
th
antennomere, with basal four antennomeres completely smooth apart from the apical circle of primary setae (
Fig. 17
). Palpomeres rather short, penultimate labial palpomere with three setae (
Fig. 28
), without posteroapical seta, terminal labial palpomere slightly longer than penultimate one. Ligula short, ventrally keel-like elevated, with apex slightly pointed, slightly protruded ventrally, completely fused with paraglossae, latter not protruded apically (
Figs 34–36
). Mentum with median tooth bifid, with internal incision moderately deep, and with three pairs of setae (
Fig. 32
): one pair each near apices of mentum tooth, posteriad of mentum tooth, and near laterobasal edges of mentum. Submentum with four pairs of setae (
Fig. 32
).
Prothorax: Pronotum (
Figs 37–39
) large and transverse, broadest in middle, with lateral margin only slightly narrowed towards base and with basal margin distinctly broader than apical margin. Apical margin slightly convex in middle, markedly shifted anteriad towards apical angles; latter large, rectangular or slightly acute. Basal margin very slightly convex or straight in middle, slightly sinusoidal towards sides, with laterobasal angles almost rectangular, slightly projected posteriad, at their extreme apices very slightly protruded laterally as very small, blunt teeth. Lateral margin more markedly arcuate in apical half, almost straight before base. Lateral gutter wide throughout, markedly widened towards the laterobasal depressions; latter large, markedly deepened in middle. Basal transverse depression distinct; median longitudinal impressions deep, obsolete near apex and base. Disc, lateral gutter and basal depressions smooth, without conspicuous punctures. Both lateral and laterobasal setae present, with lateral seta situated within lateral gutter slightly before pronotal middle, and laterobasal seta situated near base, distanced from the lateral margin by the width or the half diameter of the setiferous pore. Prosternum at its sides, and proepisternum densely punctate; prosternal process with marginal bead complete (
Fig. 27
).
Pterothorax: Elytra moderately short, in dorsal view broad-ovate, slightly or moderately broader than pronotum; disc moderately convex in middle, distinctly flattened near base (
Fig. 40
). Humerus broad, distinctly wrinkled (
Fig. 41
). Elytral apices shortly rounded. Elytral basal bead almost complete, absent between bases of parascutellar stria and first stria (
Fig. 41
); basal and marginal bead forming a slightly obtuse angle. Parascutellar stria long, deeply punctured, not connected with the first stria; striae 1–7 very slightly impressed, even on disc, distinctly punctured throughout (
Fig. 41
); all intervals completely flat. Parascutellar seta present, situated in the interval between basal portions of parascutellar stria and first stria; third interval with three discal setae, all situated close to the third stria, with first seta situated at the posterior end of anterior elytral fifth, second slightly anteriad middle, and third slightly anteriad apical quarter; elytral praeapical seta present, situated about at middle of the third interval near apices of the second and third striae (
Fig. 41
); elytral umbilicate series comprised of 9–10 setae (
Fig. 40
). Metepisternum with lateral margin about 1.2–1.3 times as long as apical margin. Hind wings fully developed (
Figs 7, 8
).
Legs: Rather short and robust, with metafemora markedly thickened in middle (
Fig. 30
). Metacoxa with one anterior and one posterior seta, metatrochanter asetose (
Fig. 10
), metafemur in distal half with two short setae on dorsoapical surface, glabrous on ventral surface (
Fig. 30
). Mesotibia with distinct dorsal groove extended over most of its length. All tarsomeres glabrous on dorsal surface (
Fig. 29
); protarsomeres 1–3 broadened in males, slender in females; fourth metatarsomere with ventroapical margin trunctate; fifth pro- and mesotarsomeres with three, fifth metatarsomere with four pairs of strong setae on ventral surface (
Fig. 29
).
Abdomen: Sternites IV–VI each with a single pair of setae near apical margin; sternite VII in males paramedially with one, in females with two pairs of setae (
Fig. 30
).
Female genitalia (
Figs 50–53
): Apical gonocoxite short, slender in ventral aspect but broad and broadly rounded apically in lateral aspect; basal gonocoxite longer and slightly wider, fused with the apical gonocoxite medially but broadly separated and membraneous laterally; basal gonocoxite with three or four stout spiniform setae arranged in a ventral diagonal row from medioapical to laterobasal; dorsomedial edge of fused apical and basal gonocoxites with two stout spiniform setae. Female genital tract could not be imaged.
Male genitalia (
Figs 42–49
): Aedeagal median lobe moderately long, markedly bent throughout, tube-like, moderately robust, slightly widened in apical half, somewhat twisted counterclockwise; median lobe base closed; apical ostium about 2/3 of length of median lobe; basal bulb moderately large, with a well-developed sagittal aileron; apical lamella moderately long, tongue-shaped, slightly bent to the right. Parameres asymmetrical, with left one moderately large, broad and flat, without obvious apical apophysis, and with right one longer and slenderer, with a slightly bent lanceolate apical apophysis.