A new short-winged flower beetle with exaggerated head and antennal scape in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Kateretidae)

Kateretid beetles are known for loosely three-segmented antennal club, comparatively short elytra exposing abdominal segments, and their anthophylous-spermophagus biology likely originated since the Cretaceous period. Fossil kateretids from the Mesozoic are crucial for understanding the early evolution of morphological disparity and palaeoecology. Here, we establish Protokateretes gen. nov., a new genus of Kateretidae characterized by exaggerated expansion of scape in males. Eoceniretes antiquus Peris and Jelinek is transferred to Protokateretes, and a new kateretid beetle with large head, Protokateretes meg-acephalus sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Our discovery highlights the high morphological disparity of the currently small family in the Cretaceous.(c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, a new genus of Kateretidae, Protokateretes, characterized by the exaggerated expansion of scape in males, was established. The species Eoceniretes antiquus was transferred to Protokateretes, and a new kateretid beetle with a large head, Protokateretes meg-acephalus, was described. This discovery highlights the morphological disparity of the small family in the Cretaceous period.