No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Mesalocerus tetropoides n. gen. n. sp. from Baltic amber: the first fossil member of the tribe Anisarthrini Mamaev & Danilevsky, 1973 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)
Abstract and Figures
Mesalocerus tetropoides n. gen. n. sp. (Spondylidinae, Anisarthrini) from Baltic Amber (Early Oligocene) is described. This new genus is closely related to Schurmannia Sama, 1979 and to Metalocerus Aurivillius, 1917. Relations with other member of Anisarthrini Mamaev & Danilevsky, 1973 and biogeographical considerations concerning this tribe are discussed
Figures - uploaded by Francesco Vitali
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Francesco Vitali
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Until today, 20 valid cerambycid species have been recognised from succinite (Vitali, 2014(Vitali, , 2015, 18 of them being only known from Baltic amber (Vitali, 2011). ...
... Obrium damgaardi sp. n. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), the first fossil species of the genus Obrium Dejean from the Baltic amber Francesco Vitali Vitali F. 2015. Obrium damgaardi sp. ...
A new fossil cerambycid from Baltic amber, Obrium damgaardi sp. n. (Cerambycinae, Obriini) is described and compared with extant congeners. The species is characterised by regularly punctured elytra, relatively large head and, possibly, uniform colouration. The first character is probably archaic, being rare among current species.
... Studies of the fossil Coleoptera fauna in Baltic amber have been particularly intensive in the last decade. An especially large amount of material has been processed, or sufficient study progress has been made for such beetle groups as, for example, the predatory Cantharidae and Coccinellidae [114][115][116][117][118], as well as the herbivorous Cerambycidae [119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129]. New descriptions of species and genera have significantly added to the picture of the fossil beetle assemblage in the Fennosarmatian landmass during the Late Eocene and made adjustments to the conclusions about the paleoecosystems of amber forests. ...
A new species of the genus Cartorhynchites (Rhynchitini, Rhynchitina) is described from Baltic amber. Cartorhynchites groehni Legalov, Bukejs et Alekseev sp. n. differs from C. struvei Zherikhin, 1992 from the Miocene of Germany in its smaller body size (2.6 mm), strongly convex eyes, narrower pronotum and wide elytra, and dark brown legs. A new species is studied and illustrated in detail using X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). It is the earliest fossil record of subtribe Rhynchitina. A list of fossil Rhynchitidae was compiled. A key to species of Rhynchitidae in Baltic amber was given. Fossil finds of the family Rhynchitidae were discussed. The assumption was made that the Recent distribution range of the genus Cartorhynchites is within the range of its host plant of the genus Symplocos. Probably, a new Eocene species developed on Symplocos kowalewskii, and the Oligocene C. struvei was associated with Symplocos myosotis (Unger).
... According to the temperature curve based on oxygen isotope measurement (Buchardt 1978), such temperate conditions occurred in Europe only since the Early Oligocene. The fact that Calocedrus was present in Europe just since this age agrees in supporting a more modern dating for Baltic amber, referring it to the Early Oligocene (Vitali 2009Vitali , 2011Vitali , 2014Vitali , 2015), as already supposed in the past (Noetling 1883, 1888). ...
A new fossil cerambycid from Baltic amber, Dicentrus mehli sp. n. (Cerambycinae, Opsimini) is described and compared to extant congeners.
This species is characterised by larger eyes, narrower inter-ocular space and shorter pedicle and, possibly, uniform colouring.
This discovery allows confirming and pointing out the assumed hypotheses concerning the evolution of the Opsimini. In particular, the assumed association with fossil Calocedrus implies to dating the Baltic amber back to the Early Oligocene.
The genus Tillomorphites Vitali, 2011 is revised with the description of two new species
from Baltic Amber: Tillomorphites spinipes n. sp. and Tillomorphites otiliae n. sp. New
observations and an improved reconstruction of Tillomorphites robustus Vitali, 2011 are provided. The typical characters of this genus are shared by the Ecuadorian extant species Euderces elachys Martins & Galileo, 2013 so that Tillomorphites elachys (Martins & Galileo, 2013) n. comb. is proposed. Biogeographical and biologic remarks on the genus
Tillomorphites and on the phylogeny of Tillomorphini concerning distribution and morphologic evolution are hypothesised.
Four new zopherid species are described and illustrated from Eocene Baltic amber: Xylolaemus legalovi sp. nov., X. richardklebsi sp. nov., Diodesma slipinskii sp. nov., and Endophloeus gorskii sp. nov. A key to species of Xylolaemus Redtenbacher, described from Baltic amber, and a checklist of fossil Zopheridae are provided. The montane distribution of several recent representatives of dendrophilous zopherids in Europe and the connection of such a distributional type with modern human activity is discussed.
Three new fossil cerambycid species from Baltic amber, Pedostrangalia (s. str.) pristina sp. n. (Lepturinae, Lepturini), Japanopsimus balticus sp. n. (Cerambycinae, Opsimini), and Stenhomalus hoffeinsorum sp. n. (Cerambycinae, Obriini) are described and compared to extant congeners and fossil allied taxa. The extant Laotian species Hypoeschrus simplex Gressitt & Rondon, 1970 is transferred to the genus Japonopsimus Matsushita, 1935 as follows: Japanopsimus simplex (Gressitt & Rondon, 1970) comb. n.
A synopsis of all cerambycid species recorded from Baltic amber until today is provided and analysed according to the current systematic and paleontological knowledge.
Only eight species result to be valid. A further new species, Encyclopidonia punctatissima n. gen. n. sp. (Cerambycidae, Lepturinae, Rhagiini), is described. The new genus Trichosieversia n. gen. for Pseudosieversia europaea Vitali is instituted.
The analysis of the cerambycid Baltic fauna strongly implies the presence of temperate environmental conditions and suggests therefore to date the Baltic amber at least to the Early Oligocene.
The first fossil species of the family Biphyllidae LeConte 1861, Diplocoelus probiphyllus n. sp., is described from Baltic amber. This species, which shows intermediate characters of antennae, sculpturing and pubescence between Diplocoelus Guérin-Ménéville 1844 and Biphyllus Dejean 1821, also suggests the presence of temperate mixed forests and a climate cooler than it has been until today hypothesised for Baltic Amber.
Two specimens of the Baltic amber monotypic ant genus Prionomyrmex, known only on a few specimens supposed to have been destroyed during the Second World War, are described as a new species, P. janzeni, P. janzeni shows remarkable similarities with the Recent Australian genus Nothomyrmecia. A parsimony analysis of the relationships between the three most closely related genera, i.e. Myrmecia (Recent Australian), Nothomyrmecia (Recent Australian), and Prionomyrmex (Baltic Eocene) based on 34 morphological characters, suggests the following phylogeny: (Myrmecia, (Nothomyrmecia, Prionomyrmex)). In this reconstruction, however, Nothomyrmecia is characterised by only two, doubtful, apomorphies and Prionomyrmex is paraphyletic to it. As a consequence of this, the following nomenclature changes are proposed: 1. The genus Nothomyrmecia Clark, 1934 is a junior synonym of Prionomyrmex Mayr, 1868. 2. Prionomyrmex macrops (Clark) is a new combination (from Nothomyrmecia). 3. The subfamily Nothomyrmeciinae Clark, 1951 is a junior synonym of the tribe Prionomyrmeccini Wheeler , 1915. 4. The tribe Prionomyrmecini Wheeler, 1915 is raised to subfamilial status (Prionomyrmeccinae, new status). In this classification the Myrmeciinae result characterised by four apomorphies and the Prionomyrmecinae by three: one undoubted, the appearance of a lateral cylpeal carina, and two verified in the Recent species only and assumed by extrapolation from similarity in "Bauplan" to be present in the fossils as well, presence of a ventral stridulitrum and of a biaculeate subgenital plate. It is stressed by a hypothetical future demonstration of absence of the last two characters in the fossil species will not affect the classification proposed in this paper. This hypothetical discovery, in fact, would render again Prionomyrmex paraphylectic to Nothomyrmecia and hence its senior synonym.
Cerambycidae) on the basis of larval morphology
- Aseminae ( Coleoptera
Aseminae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) on the basis of larval morphology. Vestnik Zoologii, 8:
1257-1261.
Six new fossil Cerambycids
- Vitali
Vitali (F.), 2011. -Six new fossil Cerambycids included in Baltic and Saxon amber
(Coleoptera Cerambycidae). Entomapeiron (P. S.), 4(1): 1-34.
– The ants of the Baltic Amber. Schriften der Physikalisch-ökonomischen Gesellschaft
- Wheeler
Wheeler (W. M.), 1914. – The ants of the Baltic Amber. Schriften der Physikalisch-ökonomischen Gesellschaft, 55: 1-152.
A new species of Triplax Herbst, 1793 (Coleoptera, Erotylidae) from Bitterfeld amber
Alekseev (V. I.), 2014. -A new species of Triplax Herbst, 1793 (Coleoptera, Erotylidae)
from Bitterfeld amber. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 14(2): 171-177.
Insetti della Fauna Europea. Coleotteri Cerambicidi
Pesarini (C.) & Sabbadini (A.), 1994. -Insetti della Fauna Europea. Coleotteri Cerambicidi. Natura, 85(1-2): 1-132.