Two new genera and species of tiger beetles from Baltic amber (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae)

Authors

  • Jürgen Wiesner
  • Kipling Will
  • Joachim Schmidt

Keywords:

Taxonomy, new genus, new species, X-ray microscopy

Abstract

Two fossil tiger beetle species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae) are described from Eocene Baltic amber using light microscopic and X-ray microscopic techniques. Both species are considered representatives of the subtribe Iresina Rivalier, 1971 due to the shared combination of character states: glabrous head, six labral and four suborbital setae, and glabrous pronotum. Palaeopronyssiformia groehni Wiesner, Will, and Schmidt, new genus, new species, is characterized by a glabrous and furrowed head with six labral setae, large eyes, presence of two supraorbital setae on each side, mandibles with two teeth of the incisor region, and a glabrous and furrowed pronotum. Palaeoiresina cassolai Wiesner, Will, and Schmidt, new genus, new species, is characterized by a unicolored, undentated labrum, mandibles with two teeth of the incisor region, glabrous head with six labral setae, two clypeal setae, two supraorbital setae on each side, and a glabrous pronotum, mesepisternum, mesepimeron, and metepisternum. The species described here represent the only known tiger beetle fossils preserved in Baltic amber.

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Published

2017-10-11