An unusual elateroid lineage from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

Yan-Da Li; Robin Kundrata; Gabriela Packova; Di-Ying Huang; Chen-Yang Cai

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01398-w

An unusual elateroid lineage from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 9;11(1):21985. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01398-w.

Authors

Yan-Da Li¹, Robin Kundrata², Gabriela Packova², Di-Ying Huang¹, Chen-Yang Cai^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China.
² Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
³ State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China. cycai@nigpas.ac.cn.
⁴ School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK. cycai@nigpas.ac.cn.

Abstract

We here report a new elateroid, Anoeuma lawrencei Li, Kundrata and Cai gen. et sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Though superficially similar to some soft-bodied archostematans, Anoeuma could be firmly placed in the polyphagan superfamily Elateroidea based on the hind wing venation. Detailed morphological comparisons between extant elateroids and the Cretaceous fossils suggest that the unique character combination does not fit with confidence into any existing soft-bodied elateroid group, although some characters indicate possible relationships between Anoeuma and Omalisinae. Our discovery of this new lineage further demonstrates the past diversity and morphological disparity of soft-bodied elateroids.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't