Clidicostigus gen. nov., the first Mesozoic genus of Mastigini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from Cenomanian Burmese amber
Citation
Jałoszyński, P., Brunke, A.J., Metscher, B., Zhang, W.-W., Bai, M. (2017). Clidicostigus gen. nov., the first Mesozoic genus of Mastigini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from Cenomanian Burmese amber, 72 110-116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2016.12.022
Plain language summary
A small group of ant-like stone beetles (a type of rove beetle) are peculiar for their large size (>1 cm), day-active habits and fast-running predacious lifestyle. Preserved in 99 million year old amber from Myanmar, the oldest member of this group was discovered and described by a team of international authors. This fossil is remarkable for its size (amber usually only preserves the smallest what was alive then) and provides direct evidence that this unique lifestyle in beetles is at least 99 million years old. The fossil also sheds light on the evolution of this group and identifies one of the top predators in ancient leaf litter communities.
Abstract
© 2017 Elsevier LtdThe Mastigitae is a small supertribe of ant-like stone beetles that currently includes nine extant and five extinct genera. Extinct taxa are known within tribes Clidicini and Mastigini; the latter with one genus discovered in Baltic amber. For the first time, a Mesozoic genus of the tribe Mastigini is described, Clidicostigus arachnipes Jałoszyński, Brunke and Bai, gen. et sp. nov., from Cenomanian Burmese amber. The new taxon shares an enlarged and spiny scape and pedicel with its extant relatives but has deep elytral grooves and a strongly elongate and asymmetrical maxillary palpomere IV; the beetle has also enormously elongate maxillary palps and legs. The elongation of appendages in combination with only moderately large eyes is postulated to have evolved as an adaptation to running quickly, with tactile and chemical senses predominating over sight. The mode of life of Clidicostigus might have been similar to that of extant Mastigini, especially of particularly slender South African species that run on the ground and climb bushes and trees in search of prey.