New genera and new species of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Chrysomelidae) from Lowermost Eocene French amber

Three new monotypical genera of leaf beetles are described: Aoriopsis eocenicus n. gen, n. sp. and Acolaspoides longipes n. gen., n. sp. from the subfamily Eumolpinae, and also Crepidocnema yantarica n. gen., n. sp. from the subfamily Alticinae. Short reviews of known fossil records of the mentioned subfamilies are given and position of the new genera discussed.     

Macrosiagon deuvei n. sp. (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae) from the French Eocene amber

Macrosiagon deuvei n. sp., the second fossil representative of this extant genus of Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae: Macrosiagonini is described from the lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France). The new species is compared with the extant species of the genus. Taxonomic position of other two fossil representatives of the family described from France by Perrichot et al. (2004) is discussed. The genus Paleoripiphorus Perrichot et al. 2004 is tentatively transferred from Ripiphorinae to Ripidiinae.     

Austrini - a new tribe of Tropiduchidae planthoppers from the Eocene Baltic amber (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)

A new tribe Austrini n. trib. of Tropiduchidae planthoppers from the Eocene Baltic amber is described to comprise Austris raffelis n. gen., n. sp. Fossils ascribed to family Tropiduchidae are discussed.     

The first sclerodermine and pristocerine flat wasps in Lowermost Eocene amber of France (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)

Two new bethylid wasps, one Scleroderminae Paleoscleroderma lamarrei gen. et sp. n. and one Pristocerinae Pristocera alaini sp. n., are described from the Lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France). Together with the Bethylinae and the three Epyrinae already described from the same amber, they show that this family was already very diverse during the Lower Paleogene.     

Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) in a faecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber

Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) is described from a faecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber. The fossil can be distinguished from the species of the closely related extant genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 by its spherical–ellipsoidal cocci forming substrate filaments with elementary branching, the clustering of coccoidal elements, the short filaments bearing reduced side branches and its occurrence in a faecal droplet of the extinct triatomine bug, P. dominicanus. This is the first fossil record of an Actinobacter, which shows that these organisms formed symbiotic associations with insects by the mid-Tertiary.     

Morphological conservatism in the foreleg structure of cicada hatchlings,Burmacicada protera n. gen., n. sp. in Burmese amber,Dominicicada youngi n. gen., n. sp. in Dominican amber and the extant Magicicada septendecim (L.) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

Two cicada hatchlings (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in Burmese and Dominican amber are described as Burmacicada protera n. gen., n. sp. and Dominicicada youngi n. gen., n. sp., respectively. Although very similar in appearance, the two species can be separated by body contour, the nature of the process on the terminal antennomere and the shape and size of protrusions, teeth and spines on the forelegs. A comparison of the forelegs of the fossil hatchlings with those of an extant hatchling of the periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim (L.), reveals a remarkable degree of morphological conservatism over 100 million years. A brief review of fossil cicadas is presented.     

Paleoleishmania proterus n. gen., n. sp., (Trypanosomatidae: Kinetoplastida) from Cretaceous Burmese amber

A trypanosomatid (Trypanosomatidae: Kinetoplastida) associated with a blood-filled female sand fly in Cretaceous Burmese amber, is described in the new genus and species, Paleoleishmania proterus. The genus Paleoleishmania is established as a collective genus for digenetic fossil trypanosomes associated with sand flies. Amastigotes, promastigotes and paramastigotes are described. Paleoleishmania proterus is the first fossil kinetoplastid and provides a minimum age for the digenetic Trypanosomatidae. Its discovery indicates that vector-borne pathogens had been established by the Early Cretaceous.     

Pleurambus strongylus n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in Dominican amber

A new genus and species of belid weevils, Pleurambus strongylus Poinar and Legalov, n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in the tribe Allocorynini is described from Dominican amber. Belid fossils are quite rare and the new species is the first fossil member of the family from the Neotropics. This discovery suggests that belid diversity in Hispaniola during the Tertiary was higher than at present since no extant belids have been reported from the West Indies.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF79FF39-634D-4BD7-AD0B-F5FB3BBE1081     

First fossil record of Brachyptera (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae) in Eocene Baltic amber

The extant taeniopterygid genus Brachyptera Newport, 1848 is reported from the Eocene Baltic amber for the first time. A new species, Brachyptera dewalti n. sp. (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae), is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved female in the amber, distinguished by the presence of three well-developed ocelli, the dark color of antennae, maxillary palps, head, prothorax, and abdominal segments, the CuA vein of forewing with three branches, the nearly rhombus, dark brown postgenital plate, and the four-segmented cerci. It is the fourth taeniopterygid species known from the Baltic amber.     

Palerasnitsynus gen. n. (Trichoptera, Psychomyiidae) from Burmese amber

Palerasnitsynus ohlhoffigen. et sp. n. is described fromBurmese amber of late Albian (Lower Cretaceous) age. This is the first record of the family Psychomyiidae from Burmese amber, and the earliest fossil record of the family. The genus Palerasnitsynusgen. n. differs from all other known psychomyiid genera by the absence of fork III in the forewings.     

Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) with a list of weevils described from Dominican amber

A new genus and species, Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Rhynchophorinae: Dryophthoridae) is described from Dominican amber as the first fossil member of the Tribe Diocalandrini. The new genus is characterised by procoxae located in the middle of the prothorax; a thick, short and strongly curved rostrum with the scape not reaching the pronotum; a weak extension of the rostrum in respect to the antennal attachment; slightly elongated fifth ventrite; narrow (not bilobed) third tarsomere and a pair of apical spurs on the protibiae. This set of characters separates the fossil from the extant genus Diocalandra Faust, 1894, the only other member of this tribe. A list of weevils (Curculionoidea) described from Dominican amber is included.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D25F7915-3C49-4E22-A37C-F574F573C67D     

Eosialis, a new alderfly genus in French Lowermost Eocene amber (Insecta, Megaloptera, Sialidae)

A new genus and species of Sialidae, Eosialis dorisi nov. gen., nov. sp. is described from the Lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France). Its phylogenetic affinities within this family remain uncertain.