Alex E. Brown

A new genus of hard ticks in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae)

A hard tick larva in Cretaceous Burmese amber is described as Cornupalpatum burmanicum n. g., n. sp. Diagnostic characters include a subcircular body with a marginal groove, 11 festoons, elongate four-segmented palpi with the fourth segment distinct and apical, the absence of an anal groove and eyes, and the presence of claws on palpal segment 3. The last character is unique for all members of the Ixodida, both fossil and extant. Aside from the palpal claws and marginal groove, features of the tick larva closely resemble those of members of the genus Aponomma Neumann 1899, considered one of the most primitive tick lineages today, whose hosts are primarily reptiles.

The first fossil streblid bat fly, Enischnomyia stegosoma n. g., n. sp. (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae)

The first fossil streblid, Enischnomyia stegosoma n. g., n. sp. (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae), is described from Dominican amber. Placed in the subfamily Nycterophiliinae Wenzel, 1966, which includes two New World extant genera, Nycterophilia Ferris, 1916 and Phalconomus Wenzel, 1984 (=Phalcophila Wenzel, 1976), the male specimen of E. stegosoma is characterised by the following features: a laterally compressed body, well-developed two-segmented antennae with the scape fused with the head, a tubular pedicel with an annulated basal portion and swollen apical portion bearing setae and bristles, a distinct flagellum with a dorsal boss bearing microsetae and a subterminal pectinate arista, a large tubular labium (proboscis) with the tip held upwards, eyes reduced to three facets, an expanded and flattened profemur, an anteriorly curved protarsus, and a well-developed wing with an entire distal margin. The possession of wings separates E. stegosoma from the species of Phalconomus, and the wing outline and venation, as well as the structure of the antennae and palps, distinguish it from species of Nycterophilia.

Descriptions of a broad-nosed weevil (Eudiagogini: Curculionidae) and false ladybird beetle (Nilionini: Nilionidae) in Dominican amber

A broad-nosed weevil, Promecops tumidirostris n. sp. (Eudiagogini: Curculionidae), and a false ladybird beetle, Nilio dominicana n. sp. (Nilionini: Nilionidae), are described from Dominican amber. P. tumidirostris can be distinguished from extant species by the greatly swollen apical portion of its rostrum, large eyes almost meeting on top of its head and a V-shaped suture separating the first and second abdominal sternites. N. dominicana differs from extant species by its small size and 18 elytral striae with small interstrial punctures. Neither tribe is represented in Hispaniola today, supporting earlier studies showing a greater biodiversity in the region during the mid-Tertiary than at present.

A non-gilled hymenomycete in Cretaceous amber.

Palaeoclavaria burmitis gen. et sp. nov. (Palaeoclavariaceae fam. nov, Hymenomycetes) is described from a series of fruit bodies and hyphae in Cretaceous amber from Burma (about 100 Myr). This is the first fossil record of the Aphyllophorales and establishes certain basic morphological and ecological characters for the group.

Anchineus dolichobothris, A New Genus and Species of Early Cretaceous Weevils (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) in Burmese Amber

Abstract A new genus and species of weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Anchineus dolichobothris Poinar and Brown) are described from Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus is characterized by: a long, narrow rostrum in the upper position, geniculate antennae with a loosely compact club, antennal scrobes extending the length of the rostrum, a lobed fifth tarsal segment, small trochanters, a well developed unguitractor plate, divaricate, toothed, tarsal claws and unequal ventrites.

Brachycamacina, a new subtribe of the tribe Naupactini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae Entiminae) in Dominican amber

A new subtribe (Brachycamacina n. subtribe), genus and species (Brachycamacus gyrommatus gen. n., sp. n.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Naupactini) of weevils are described from Dominican amber. The new subtribe differs from the nominative subtribe of the tribe Naupactini by the following combination of characters: prominent tooth on the profemur, antennae insertions in the middle of the rostrum, all tibiae with mucros, denticulate inner margins of the tibiae, apical two-thirds of the protibiae widened and a very short scape. This represents the second broad-nosed weevil described from Dominican amber. George Poinar, Jr. Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. poinarg@science.oregonstate.edu. Andrei A. Legalov. Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Street, 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia. fossilweevils@gmail.com A.E. Brown. 629 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94708, USA.

Prisciba, n. gen., and two new species of fossil froghoppers (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Clastopteridae) in Dominican amber

A new genus, Prisciba, n. gen., and two new species, Prisciba serrata and Prisciba dominicana n. gen., n. sp. (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Clastopteridae), are the first froghoppers described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters for Prisciba include a distinctly dorsoventrally compressed head bearing a transverse carina in front of the ocelli, a transversely striate pronotum, scutellum longer than wide, forewing bulla positioned on the first anteapical cell and forewing appendix narrow, with a single fold near the apex of the clavus. The genus is postulated to be older than the common ancestor of Clastoptera Germar and Iba Schmidt, the only two extant genera of Clastopterini, and to have survived to the Tertiary only on islands where competition with Clastoptera was low.http://zoobank.org/C7E66772-C2B4-470A-B53B-C6FB2551C9A0A new genus, Prisciba, n. gen., and two new species, Prisciba serrata and Prisciba dominicana n. gen., n. sp. (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Clastopteridae), are the first froghoppers described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters for Prisciba include a distinctly dorsoventrally compressed head bearing a transverse carina in front of the ocelli, a transversely striate pronotum, scutellum longer than wide, forewing bulla positioned on the first anteapical cell and forewing appendix narrow, with a single fold near the apex of the clavus. The genus is postulated to be older than the common ancestor of Clastoptera Germar and Iba Schmidt, the only two extant genera of Clastopterini, and to have survived to the Tertiary only on islands where competition with Clastoptera was low.http://zoobank.org/C7E66772-C2B4-470A-B53B-C6FB2551C9A0

PANTOSTICTUS BURMANICUS, A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF CRETACEOUS BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: HYDROPHILOIDEA: HISTERIDAE) IN BURMESE AMBER

Abstract Pantostictus burmanicus Poinar and Brown, a new genus and new species of hister beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea: Histeridae) are described from Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus is characterized by the following: small size (under 2 mm), prognathous head; head, pronotum and elytra covered with deep punctures; a 9- segmented geniculate antenna terminated with a 1-segmented asymmetrical club; tarsal formula 5-5-5; pairs of spines on all tarsal segments, fused elytra covering most of the abdomen, and a postocciput bearing paired triangular-shaped sclerotized apophyses. This represents the first Cretaceous member of the family.

A NEW WEEVIL TRIBE, MEKORHAMPHINI TRIB. NOV. (COLEOPTERA, ITHYCERIDAE) WITH TWO NEW GENERA IN BURMESE AMBER

A new tribe, Mekorhamphini trib. n., two new genera Mekorhamphus gen. n. and Habropezus gen. n. and two new species ( M . gyralommus sp. n. and H . plaisiommus sp. n.) are described from Burmese amber. The new tribe resembles the tribe Mesophyletini but differs from the latter by possessing contiguous procoxal cavities and very wide elytra with regular striae. From the tribe Anchineini, it differs by the contiguous procoxal cavities, precoxal portion of the prosternum elongated, and swollen trochanters. The new taxa can be distinguished from modern Carini by having antennae attached near the middle of the rostrum, an elongated precoxal portion of the prosternum and enlarged trochanters.

New genera and species of Jumping Ground Bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae) in Dominican and Burmese amber, with a description of a meloid (Coleoptera: Meloidae) triungulin on a Burmese specimen

Summary New genera and species of jumping ground bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae) are described in Dominican and Burmese amber. In Dominican amber are described: Hypselosoma dominicana Poinar & Brown sp. n., Schizoptera dominicana Poinar sp. n. and Schizoptera hispaniolae Poinar sp. n. In Burmese amber are described: Lumatibialis burmitis Poinar gen. et sp. n. and Hexaphlebia burmanica Poinar gen. et sp. n. A triungulin attached to the dorsum of the abdomen of Lumatibialis burmitis is described as Microentomus epibatus Poinar gen. et sp. n. in the family Meloidae (Coleoptera). This specimen represents the oldest known triungulin and the first fossil phoretic association of a triungulin and hemipteran.