First Record of the Genus Cartorhynchites Voss, 1958 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae) from Eocene Baltic Amber with a List of Fossil Tooth-Nosed Snout Weevils

Life (Basel). 2023 Sep 15;13(9):1920. doi: 10.3390/life13091920.

Abstract

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).

Keywords: Cenozoic; Curculionoidea; X-ray micro-CT; host plants; new species; paleobiodiversity.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.