Discovery of the rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber, Siberia, Russia

The monogeneric rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (genus Trichophya) is reported from Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber from Yantardakh in northern Siberia. The Taimyr specimen of Trichophya is assigned to the pilicornis species-group which contains the majority of extant species. It is differentiated from the single known trichophyine fossil Trichophya minor Yamamoto and Newton, 2021 from ca. 99 Ma mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber, which is placed in the antennalis species-group together with one recent species. Together with Trichophya minor, our newly discovered fossil Trichophya species demonstrates that the two morphologically different recent Trichophya species groups were already present far back in time. The taxonomy, biogeography and paleoecology of the Taimyr amber Trichophya is placed in the context of the known morphology, distribution and habitat requirements of the extant species. (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A fossil of the monogeneric rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (genus Trichophya) has been discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber from northern Siberia. This finding indicates the morphological differences between ancient and modern Trichophya species groups. By comparing the morphology, distribution, and habitat requirements of extant species, the taxonomy, biogeography, and paleoecology of the Trichophya in Taimyr amber can be better understood.