Cretobrachygluta gen. nov., the first and oldest Brachyglutini in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)
Yin Zi-Wei, Kurbatov Sergey A., Cuccodoro Giulio, Cai Chen-Yang
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 59(1): 101-106, 2019
Published online: 4th March 2019
Published in print: 10th August 2019
Views: 1583
Abstract: A new fossil genus and species of the subfamily Pselaphinae (Coleoptera:
Staphylinidae), †Cretobrachygluta laurasiensis gen. et sp. nov., is described
based on an exquisitely preserved specimen in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern
Myanmar. The new genus possesses a series of characters diagnostic of the extant
Brachyglutini: Brachyglutina (supertribe Goniaceritae), but it also exhibits
several plesiomorphic traits that suggest a basal position within the tribe. The
discovery of the first and oldest brachyglutine beetle in Burmese amber
considerably improves our understanding of the early morphological evolution of
Pselaphinae during the Mesozoic Era.
Key words: Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae, fossil, Burmese amber, taxonomy, character evolution