New spiders in Upper Cretaceous amber from New Jersey in the American Museum of Natural History (Arthropoda: Araneae)

The oldest described fossils of the extant spider family Araneidae (Araneinae; gen. et sp. indet.), the extant genus Orchestina (Oonopidae; O. sp. indet.) and the new fossil genus Palaeosegestria (Segestriidae; P. lutzzii gen. et sp. nov.) are presented from Upper Cretaceous amber of New Jersey. The known fossil range of the extant family Araneidae is extended approximately 50 myr from the previously oldest described araneid from the Middle Eocene oil shales of the Messel pit in Hesse, Germany. The fossil range of the extant genus Orchestina is also extended 50 myr from the previously oldest described specimen in Eocene Baltic amber.     

Miocene spiders in Dominican amber (Oonopidae,Mysmenidae)

Oonops seldeni sp. nov. and Mysmenopsis lissycoleyae sp. nov. are described from male specimens preserved in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic and are the first fossil records of these extant genera. Gamasomorpha incerta Wunderlich, 1988 is transferred to Stenoonops. Two females previously described as Orchestina dominicana? Wunderlich, 1981 are transferred to Orchestina sp. indet., and one new specimen of a male of Orchestina dominicana Wunderlich, 1988 is identified. Oonopidae is reported for the first time from Cretaceous ambers of Burma, Lebanon and New Jersey. These are the oldest records of this family, extending the known range from the Rupelian (Oligocene) to the Valanginian (Lower Cretaceous). Recent StenoonopsMysmenopsis are unknown from Hispaniola. The presence of these genera in amber suggests that they will be found. The presence of Mysmenopsis in amber is further evidence of kleptoparasitic/commensal spiders in the Miocene.     

Spiders in Upper Cretaceous Amber from New Jersey (Arthropoda: Araneae)

The oldest described fossils of the extant spider families Segestriidae, Oonopidae, Oecobiidae, Dictynidae and Linyphiidae, previously known from the Tertiary, are presented from Upper Cretaceous amber of New Jersey. The third and oldest known specimen of the fossil spider family Lagonomegopidae is also described and provides further palaeontological evidence of a common Laurasian fauna. The extant genera Segestria and Oecobius are taken back a further 52 and 69–74 myr respectively in the fossil record. These fossils predict the presence of the Caponiidae, Tetrablemmidae, Orsolobidae, Dysderidae, Hersiliidae, Eresidae, Pimoidae, Scytodoidea s.l. , cyatholipoids, theridioids and symphytognathoids in the Cretaceous. They also extend the known geological range of extant spider families through and beyond the end–Cretaceous extinction. This event, which affected numerous marine and some terrestrial organisms, probably had little effect on the Araneae.     

First British Mesozoic Spider, From Cretaceous Amber Of The Isle Of Wight, Southern England

Cretamygale chasei , a new genus and species of spider, is described from a single specimen preserved in amber of early Barremian age from the Isle of Wight. This is the oldest (and second Cretaceous) amber spider to be described, and the first record of a Mesozoic spider from Britain. It belongs to the group Bipectina of the infraorder Mygalomorphae, and is tentatively referred to the family Nemesiidae. It is the oldest bipectinate, extending the record by around 90 myr, the only known fossil nemesiid, and the second oldest fossil mygalomorph.     

New genus of fossil apoid wasps (Hymenoptera,Apoidea) from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar

The new genus 2Burmasphex is proposed for two fossil species, 2Burmasphex sulcatus sp. nov. and 2Burmasphex pilosus sp. nov., described from Myanmar Cretaceous amber. It exhibits many plesiomorphic features in relation to the extant Apoidea and is here provisionally allocated in the extinct family 2Angarosphecidae.     

A new scorpion fossil from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burma). New phylogenetic implications

A fossil scorpion belonging to a new family, genus and species, Chaerilobuthus complexus gen. n., sp. n., is described from Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burma). This is the third species and the fourth scorpion specimen to have been found and described from Burmese amber. The new family seems quite distinct from the family Archaeobuthidae Lourenço, 2001 described from Cretaceous amber of Lebanon.     

SCHIZOPTERID BUGS (INSECTA: HETEROPTERA) IN MID-CRETACEOUS AMBERS FROM FRANCE and MYANMAR (BURMA)

Abstract:  Bugs of two new genera and species are described as Buzinia couillardi and Tanaia burmitica . They are preserved in mid-Cretaceous amber from south-west France and northern Myanmar (Burma), respectively ( c . 100 Ma). These are the first formally described fossils of the heteropteran family Schizopteridae. Both belong to the subfamily Hypselosomatinae and are very similar to the extant genus Hypselosoma Reuter, providing evidence for the antiquity and morphological stability of this small bug family and the infraorder Dipsocoromorpha. Given the putative ecology of the fossils, a discussion is provided on the French and Burmese amber forest ecosystems. The geological setting of La Buzinie, a new amber deposit in south-west France that yielded the two specimens of Buzinia couillardi , is outlined.     

Electraesalopsis beuteli gen.& sp.nov., the first lucanid beetle from the Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

The first stag beetle found in Cretaceous Myanmar amber,Electraesalopsis beuteli Bai,Zhang & Qiu gen.& sp.nov.,is described and illustrated on the basis of one well-preserved specimen.This specimen provides more detailed morphological characters compared with compression fossils,e.g.the highly setose antennae and the punctured elytra.However,the systematic position of the new genus is still questionable and we provisionally place it as Lucanidae incertae sedis.In addition,the discovery ofElectraesalopsis Bai,Zhang & Qiu gen.nov.also indicates that there is very high biodiversity in Burmese amber.The new discoveries in future studies on Burmese amber will provide more information and improve our knowledge of biogeography and early evolution of the Lucanidae.     

Phylogeny of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) with a new genus from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new wasp species, Lagenostephanus lii Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih and Ren gen. et sp.n. , is assigned to Stephaninae (Hymenoptera: Stephanidae). The specimen is described from the lowermost Upper Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. This is the second stephanid wasp described from Myanmar amber after Kronostephanus zigrasi Engel & Grimaldi, representing the earliest fossil occurrences of Stephanidae. Based on morphological characters of all extant and extinct genera, a phylogenetic analysis of Stephanidae was conducted. The results indicate that Schlettereriinae and Stephaninae are monophyletic, whereas Electrostephanus Brues, as the only genus within Electrostephaninae, belongs to Stephaninae. Therefore, we propose a synonymy of Electrostephaninae with Stephaninae. Based on the fossil evidence, we infer that the family of Stephanidae was significantly diverse in the Late Cretaceous and that they originated during the Early Cretaceous or late Jurassic. A key to genera of Stephanidae is provided. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C082C245-8FD3-42B0-880F-94333286500B .     

A new fossil record of Thyrsopteridaceae (Cyatheales) from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar

Paleopalynology evidence and megafossil records indicated that tree fern order Cyatheales, played an important role in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystem. Few fossil records of the family Thyrsopteridaceae have been reported so far. In the present study, we describe a distinctive fertile pinnule segment of a fern plant preserved in a mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. The well-preserved fertile pinnule is identified as a new species of the extant tree fern genus Thyrsopteris (Thyrsopteridaceae): Thyrsopteris cyathindusia n. sp. It represents the second fossil species of Thyrsopteridaceae found in the mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. The new species shows distinctive characteristics of the sporophyll that are considered paleoecologically/paleobiogeographically significant for evolution of the Thyrsopteridaceae.     

白垩纪中期克钦琥珀毛蚊科(双翅目:毛蚊总科)昆虫一新属新种

毛蚊科是双翅目长角亚目的一类昆虫,其种类丰富,广布世界各地.毛蚊化石记录较为丰富,但往往都是保存于湖相沉积地层中,琥珀中的化石较为罕见.本文根据缅甸北部克钦地区产出的白垩纪中期琥珀中保存的昆虫标本建立了 1新属新种——缅甸白垩叉毛蚊(Cretpenthetria burmensis gen.et sp.nov.),归入...     

缅甸北部克钦琥珀中的蜻蜓目化石

近五年,缅甸北部白垩纪中期克钦琥珀中相继发现了数百枚蜻蜓目化石,包含现生蜻蜓目三个亚目类群,目前已发表16科29属35种,在所有已知琥珀记录中数量和多样性最高。克钦琥珀中的蜻蜓目以均翅亚目(豆娘)为主,以Burmahemiphlebia zhangi最为常见,不少现生豆娘的化石记录也首次在克钦琥珀中发现,包括Perilestidae,Platycnemididae和Platystictidae等。此外,克钦琥珀中发现了一些中生代沉积岩中常见的蜻蜓目类群,如Araripegomphidae, Gomphaeschnidae和Stenophlebiidae等,指示克钦琥珀的时代可能为早白垩世晚期。这些发现为探讨蜻蜓目部分类群的起源、演化和揭示生物古地理提供了有力证据。     

The first Ironomyiidae from mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber provides insights into the phylogeny of Phoroidea (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha)

Macalpinomyia jiewenae gen. et sp.n. is described from the mid‐Cretaceous (～99 Ma) amber of Myanmar. Macalpinomyia jiewenae is the first Oriental representative of the enigmatic family Ironomyiidae (Diptera: Phoroidea), currently known from a single extant genus restricted to southeastern Australia, plus a monotypic genus from Canadian amber and three controversial genera based on impression fossils from China, Mongolia and Russia. A phylogenetic analysis of all Phoroidea families, including all ironomyiid extant and extinct genera, corroborates the monophyly of Ironomyiidae, and Macalpinomyia gen.n. is assigned to the subfamily Sinolestinae. Cretonomyiinae subfam.n. , is erected to accommodate the basal lineage of Ironomyiidae. Lebambromyia acrai Grimaldi & Cumming, previously placed in Ironomyiidae, is supported as an early branching lineage of Platypezidae. Our topology proposes that Ironomyiidae is sister to the remaining Phoroidea. The phylogenetic results, in combination with the fossil ages and relevant molecular divergence time analysis, suggests that Ironomyiidae probably originated at least in the Berriasian of the Early Cretaceous (～140 Ma). This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DFFC944‐1350‐418E‐BCDC‐BB87FC013D5D .     

The earliest fossil record of the extant rove beetle genus Phloeocharis from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar and its biogeographic implications (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae)

Phloeocharis Mannerheim is the largest genus within the problematic rove beetle subfamily Phloeocharinae, with a single extinct and 44 recent species recorded from the Holarctic Region. Until now, the oldest fossil record of Phloeocharis was known from Late Cretaceous (Turonian) amber from New Jersey, USA. Here we describe 2Phloeocharis burmana n. sp. from mid-Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) Kachin amber from northern Myanmar, as the earliest extinct species of this genus. Our finding also sheds light on the biogeography of Phloeocharis, since no recent or extinct species have so far been recorded from the Oriental Region. Furthermore, the discovery of 2P. burmana n. sp. extends the Mesozoic diversity of the phloeocharine rove beetles both taxonomically and morphologically, particularly from Kachin amber.     

A remarkable new fossil species of Amplectister with peculiar hindleg modifications (Coleoptera: Histeridae): further evidence for myrmecophily in Cretaceous clown beetles

Myrmecophily is a phenomenon of the symbiosis of organisms that depend on various ant (Formicidae) societies. Such interspecies associations are found in several unrelated lineages within the clown beetle family Histeridae. Recent studies have suggested that the origin of myrmecophily can be traced back to mid-Cretaceous based on a few fossil records from Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. Here, we describe a remarkable new species, Amplectister terapoides n. sp., from Kachin amber. This is the second species of the extinct genus Amplectister Caterino and Maddison, which has been found from the same amber deposit and has also been considered to be myrmecophilous. The new species here described has the most heavily modified hindlegs in any fossil histerids or even beetles discovered until now, indicating further evidence for ant colony association. Our discovery demonstrates that significant and diverse morphological adaptations to myrmecophily had already occurred during the Cretaceous.     

A golden orb-weaver spider (Araneae: Nephilidae: Nephila) from the Middle Jurassic of China

Nephila are large, conspicuous weavers of orb webs composed of golden silk, in tropical and subtropical regions. Nephilids have a sparse fossil record, the oldest described hitherto being Cretaraneus vilaltae from the Cretaceous of Spain. Five species from Neogene Dominican amber and one from the Eocene of Florissant, CO, USA, have been referred to the extant genus Nephila. Here, we report the largest known fossil spider, Nephila jurassica sp. nov., from Middle Jurassic (approx. 165 Ma) strata of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The new species extends the fossil record of the family by approximately 35 Ma and of the genus Nephila by approximately 130 Ma, making it the longest ranging spider genus known. Nephilidae originated somewhere on Pangaea, possibly the North China block, followed by dispersal almost worldwide before the break-up of the supercontinent later in the Mesozoic. The find suggests that the palaeoclimate was warm and humid at this time. This giant fossil orb-weaver provides evidence of predation on medium to large insects, well known from the Daohugou beds, and would have played an important role in the evolution of these insects.     

Protoresinacarus brevipedis gen. n., sp. n. from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber: the first fossil record of mites of the Family Resinacaridae (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pyemotoidea)

A new genus and species of mites, Protoresinacarus brevipedis gen. n., sp. n. (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pyemotoidea), is described from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. This represents the first fossil record of a member of the family Resinacaridae. It is represented by 21 phoretic females adjacent to an adult mantidfly (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). This is the first record of phoresy of pyemotid mites on members of the insect order Neuroptera. The fossil mites differ from extant members of the family in possessing distinctly shorter legs I, which do not reach beyond the apex of the gnathosoma, and by the long setae v ₁, v ₂ and c ₂.     

Brachyceran Diptera (Insecta) in Cretaceous ambers, Part IV, Significant New Orthorrhaphous Taxa

Thirteen species of basal Brachycera (11 described as new) are reported, belonging to nine families and three infraorders. They are preserved in amber from the Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) of Lebanon, Albian of northern Spain, upper Albian to lower Cenomanian of northern Myanmar, and Late Cretaceous of New Jersey USA (Turonian) and Alberta, Canada (Campanian). Taxa are as follows, with significance as noted: In Stratiomyomorpha: Stratiomyidae (Cretaceogaster pygmaeus Teskey [2 new specimens in Canadian amber], Lysistrata emerita Grimaldi & Arillo, gen. et sp. n. [stem-group species of the family in Spanish amber]), and Xylomyidae (Cretoxyla azari Grimaldi & Cumming, gen. et sp. n. [in Lebanese amber], and an undescribed species from Spain). In Tabanomorpha: Tabanidae (Cratotabanus newjerseyensis Grimaldi, sp. n., in New Jersey amber). In Muscomorpha: Acroceridae (Schlingeromyia minuta Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. and Burmacyrtus rusmithi Grimaldi & Hauser gen. etsp. n., in Burmese amber, the only definitive species of the family from the Cretaceous); Mythicomyiidae (Microburmyia analvena Grimaldi & Cumming gen. et sp. n. and Microburmyia veanalvena Grimaldi & Cumming, sp. n., stem-group species of the family, both in Burmese amber); Apsilocephalidae or near (therevoid family-group) (Kumaromyia burmitica Grimaldi & Hauser, gen. et sp. n. [in Burmese amber]); Apystomyiidae (Hilarimorphites burmanica Grimaldi & Cumming, sp. n. [in Burmese amber], whose closest relatives are from the Late Jurassic of Kazachstan, the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey, and Recent of California). Lastly, two species belonging to families incertae sedis, both in Burmese amber: Tethepomyiidae (Tethepomyia zigrasi Grimaldi & Arillo sp. n., the aculeate oviscapt of which indicates this family was probably parasitoidal and related to Eremochaetidae); and unplaced to family is Myanmyia asteiformia Grimaldi, gen. et sp. n., a minute fly with highly reduced venation. These new taxa significantly expand the Mesozoic fossil record of rare and phylogenetically significant taxa of lower Brachycera.