Search

The bee genus Pasites Jurine (Nomadinae: Ammobatini) is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. A new species, Pasites vuquang Tran, Engel, and Nguyen, n. sp., is described and illustrated based on two females and one male collected from Vu Quang National Park, central Vietnam. Its potential host is Pseudapis (Pseudapis) siamensis Cockerell (Halictidae: Nomiinae). An identification key is provided to the species of Asian Pasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossils encompassing multiple individuals provide rare direct evidence of behavioral interactions among extinct organisms. However, the fossilization process can alter the spatial relationship between individuals and hinder behavioral reconstruction. Here, we report a Baltic amber inclusion preserving a female-male pair of the extinct termite species Electrotermes affinis. The head-to-abdomen contact in the fossilized pair resembles the tandem courtship behavior of extant termites, although their parallel body alignment differs from the linear alignment typical of tandem runs. To solve this inconsistency, we simulated the first stage of amber formation, the immobilization of captured organisms, by exposing living termite tandems to sticky surfaces. We found that the posture of the fossilized pair matches trapped tandems and differs from untrapped tandems. Thus, the fossilized pair likely is a tandem running pair, representing the direct evidence of the mating behavior of extinct termites. Furthermore, by comparing the postures of partners on a sticky surface and in the amber inclusion, we estimated that the male likely performed the leader role in the fossilized tandem. Our results demonstrate that past behavioral interactions can be reconstructed despite the spatial distortion of body poses during fossilization. Our taphonomic approach demonstrates how certain behaviors can be inferred from fossil occurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rare bee genus Habrophorula Lieftinck, 1974 is recorded for the first time from Vietnam. The genus is represented by a new species, Habrophorula belladeceptrix Tran, Engel & Nguyen, sp. nov., from Cao Bang Province and can be most easily confused with H. nigripes Wu from China. The species is most easily differentiated by the unique form of the male terminalia but can also be distinguished by differences in integumental and setal coloration. A revised key is provided to the species of the genus. Females of the new species were collected at flowers of Saurauia roxburghii Wall. and Saurauia napaulensis DC. (Actinidiaceae); males were collected at flowers of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hitherto, only two species of the thysanopteran suborder Terebrantia have been reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar). This is here expanded through the discovery of two new genera and species, described and figured as Parallelothrips separatus gen. et sp. nov. and Didymothrips abdominalis gen. et sp. nov., both of the family Stenurothripidae. Both taxa have key apomorphies of the Stenurothripidae, allowing for a confident assignment as to family. Both species have characteristic comb-like anteromarginal setae, which are discussed along with structural differences between the two sexes. Cycad pollen was found on the thrips’ bodies, providing further evidence that Thysanoptera were pollinators of gymnosperms during the mid-Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clubtail dragonfly Lindenia heeri sp. nov., is described and figured as the first fossil representative of the extant lindeniine genus Lindenia, based on a finely preserved forewing from the mid-Miocene lacustrine maar of Öhningen, Germany. The new species differs from the type and only species of Lindenia tetraphylla in the dark brown pterostigma covering ten cells vs. only five. Otherwise its forewing venation is identical to that of the modern species. The paleoclimatic data fit well with the climatic preferences of extant Lindenia tetraphylla, consistent with the generally warmer climate of that region during that period of time, allowing for more Mediterranean or even subtropical elements of the flora and fauna to persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying insect fossils, particularly those preserved as compressions in sedimentary matrices, can be difficult due to the taphonomic processes that often result to poor preservation and contrast of structures compared to the embedding matrix. To address this, we propose a user-friendly and simple methodology based on UV-light to study insect fossils and select specimens of interest for more advanced imagery exploration. While UV-light imaging has been previously applied to compressions of arthropod fossils, it typically involved laser light sources. Our approach allows the investigation of fossils using an affordable, compact, and portable UV-light source, along with a simple and replicable low-cost protocol. •The methodology is based on UV-light induced natural fluorescence of sediment and fossil remains.•UV-light is effective on compression fossils to gain natural contrast and enhance observation of body structures like veins or setae on wings.•UV-light is effective to reveal palaeoecological information such as pollen grains preserved on specimens, especially near or on putative pollinator or pollen-eating taxa., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict of interests., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Hitherto, only two species of the thysanopteran suborder Terebrantia have been reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Myanmar). This is here expanded through the discovery of two new genera and species, described and figured as Parallelothripsseparatus gen. et sp. nov. and Didymothripsabdominalis gen. et sp. nov. , both of the family Stenurothripidae. Both taxa have key apomorphies of the Stenurothripidae, allowing for a confident assignment as to family. Both species have characteristic comb-like anteromarginal setae, which are discussed along with structural differences between the two sexes. Cycad pollen was found on the thrips' bodies, providing further evidence that Thysanoptera were pollinators of gymnosperms during the mid-Cretaceous., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.