Fossil limnichids are very rare, and were known from the Cenozoic so far. Here we describe and illustrate the first definitive Mesozoic representative of the family Limnichidae, Erichia cretacea sp. nov., based on a well-preserved adult from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. This taxon is firmly placed in the extant Cephalobyrrhinae based on multiple characteristics, such as body elongate and oval, base of pronotum and elytra incised and metacoxae transverse. The discovery of a Mesozoic fossil species classified in the recent genus suggests that Limnichidae and Cephalobyrrhinae are ancient groups, that experienced long evolutionary stasis.
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1 November 2018
The First Fossil Limnichidae from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese Amber (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea)
Yali Yu,
Adam Ślipiński,
Dong Ren,
Hong Pang
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Annales Zoologici
Vol. 68 • No. 4
December 2018
Vol. 68 • No. 4
December 2018
Burmese amber
Late Cretaceous
Limnichidae
new taxa