The oldest fossil species of the genus Henoticus Thomson (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from Eocene Baltic amber

ABSTRACT

Based on a single specimen in Eocene Baltic amber, Henoticus groehni sp. nov., the first extinct species of the genus, is described. The new species is studied and illustrated in detail using optical microphotography and X-ray micro-computed tomography. An additional congeneric specimen is discussed but not attributed to the species level. It is shown that exoskeletal depressions on the metaventrite with possible mycangia roles were present in Henoticus already in the Eocene. The possible involvement of the newly described species in dynamic of ecosystems at the early stages of natural pyrogenic succession in Eocene amber forests is hypothesised.

KEYWORDS:

• Cryptophaginae
• Cenozoic
• Palaeogene
• fossil resin
• X-ray micro-CT
• mycangia

Acknowledgments

We are sincerely grateful to Carsten Gröhn (Glinde, Germany) for the loan of interesting material, to Jonas Damzen (Vilnius, Lithuania) for photographic preparation and assistance during our amber research and to Msc. Kristaps Kairišs (Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia) for the micro-CT scanning, rendering and reconstruction of 3D models. We thank Dr. D.A. Pollock (Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, USA) for a native English speaker proofread of the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and efforts to improve our manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2023.2230992

Additional information

Funding

The study of GYuL was supported by the state program ‘Taxonomic and chorological analysis of the animal world, as a ground for study and conservation of the biological diversity’ [121032300105-0] of the Moscow Lomonosov State University.