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Four Triassic species of the ommatid beetles Notocupes are redescribed using an extended list of diagnostic characters from both published sources and original study. New diagnoses for the genus as well as for four Triassic species are provided with emphasis on discrete characters of cuticular sculpture and elytral venation. A brief overview of research history of Notocupes and of taxonomic issues associated with this species-rich genus is compiled. Several morphological characters useful for identification are discussed in detail, viz., body tubercles and their distribution on the body, main and intercalary elytral veins and pronotal shape.

The Khasurty locality (Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia, Russia) is one of the largest fossil insect sites in the region. Over the entire period of study, more than 6000 insect imprints have been collected here, representing 16 orders and 130 families. Dipterans, aphids and hymenopterans are the most common forms here, the most diverse taxa are Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Trichoptera. In addition to insects, remains of crustaceans, mosses, liverworts and vascular plants were found in Khasurty, as well as occasional finds of arachnids, bird feathers and fish scales. Two new families, 17 new genera and 21 new species of Trichoptera, two new species of Orthoptera, one new genus and species of Phasmatoptera, one new species of Reculida, three new genera and species of Hemiptera, a new genus and species of Thysanoptera, a new genus and species of Hymenoptera, a new subfamily, two new genera and six new species of Lepidoptera, three new genera and four new species of Neuroptera, as well as a new genus and species of liverworts are described. In terms of the composition of the fauna and flora, the Khasurty locality is very peculiar, it includes both Jurassic and Cretaceous taxa, but in general it can be attributed to the Jehol biota.

The first fossil monotypic genus of the subfamily Necrophilinae (Coleoptera, Agyrtidae), Palaeonecrophilus buryaticus gen. et sp. nov., is described from a positive and negative imprint found at the Early Cretaceous Khasurty locality in Western Transbaikalia. The beetle is similar to modern Necrophilinae in the presence of notches on the apical antennomeres and the wide and flattened edges of the pronotum. It is distinguished from the modern species by the strong anterior protrusion of the anterior pronotal angles and the oblique orientation of the metanepisterna. Widely spaced anterior coxae with a process between them distinguish the new species from the representatives of the genus Necrophilus. Palaeonecrophilus presumably fed on carrion, like modern Necrophilus and Zeanecrophilus.

Two species of Jurodidae: Jurodes ignoramus and Jurodes minor are redescribed, new characters presented, and characters from original descriptions are phylogenetically reevaluated, justifying a placement of the family within the suborder Archostemata. The new species Jurodes shef sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous locality Khasurty (Berriasian-Barremian, Zakamenskiy district, Buryatia Republic, Russia) is described and 2 new specimens of J. ignoramus Ponomarenko, 1985 and 5 additional specimens of J. minor Ponomarenko, 1990 are recorded. Jurodids from Khasurty are morphologically closer to those from Daohugou locality (Middle–Upper Jurassic, Inner Mongolia, China).

The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) led to a severe terrestrial ecosystem collapse. However, the ecological response of insects—the most diverse group of organisms on Earth—to the EPME remains poorly understood. Here, we analyse beetle evolutionary history based on taxonomic diversity, morphological disparity, phylogeny, and ecological shifts from the Early Permian to Middle Triassic, using a comprehensive new data set. Permian beetles were dominated by xylophagous stem groups with a high diversity and disparity, which probably played an underappreciated role in the Permian carbon cycle. Our suite of analyses shows that Permian xylophagous beetles suffered a severe extinction during the EPME largely due to the collapse of forest ecosystems, resulting in an Early Triassic gap of xylophagous beetles. New xylophagous beetles appeared widely in the early Middle Triassic, which is consistent with the restoration of forest ecosystems. Our results highlight the ecological significance of insects in deep-time terrestrial ecosystems.

The Carboniferous insect taxon †Stephanastus polinae was assigned to a monotypic new order †Skleroptera, which was postulated as the sister group of the clade Strepsiptera + Coleoptera (= Coleopterida). The placement of †Stephanastus in Holometabola and the proposed relationship with Coleopterida are very likely unjustified. Suggested shared derived features of Skleroptera + Coleopterida are vague, insufficiently documented (characters of proximal leg segments) or likely based on misinterpretation (wing veins). Based on the wing venation we suggest a position in the extinct hemimetabolous order †Protelytroptera.

†Tunguskagyrus, a Late Permian beetle fossil, was assigned to the adephagan family Gyrinidae in the original description. This placement was challenged in a recent study, where the genus was considered as part of a broad new concept of the extinct family †Triaplidae and transferred from Adephaga to Archostemata. Even though some structural features deviate from the typical pattern found in extant Gyrinidae, we maintain the placement of †Tunguskagyrus in the stemgroup of this family as the most plausibe interpretation. The suggested taxonomic changes concerning †Triaplidae (and †Schizophoroidea) are invalidated by an insufficient phylogenetic approach and several misinterpretations of the fossil imprints. The arguments are based on 1) general habitual similarity, 2) ubiquitous characters, 3) plesiomorphies, or 4) apomorphic conditions (compared to the Coleopteran groundplan) occurring in many beetle groups, strongly affected by homoplasy. The taxonomic shift of †Tunguskagyrus and the new concept of †Schizophoroidea and †Triaplidae are discarded due to the lack of a defined phylogenetic methodology and synapomorphies.

The Mesozoic fossil record of the family Cerophytidae is critically reviewed. The fossil data is combined with the characters of the recent representatives of Cerophytidae to build a new phylogenetic hypothesis of their relationships. Twenty-three in-group taxa and three out-groups were included in a maximum parsimony cladistic analysis based on 32 adult characters. The resulting tree confirms the family Cerophytidae as a monophylum with two weakly supported clades, segregating most of the extinct Mesozoic and extant genera into separate clades. The new concept of the family Cerophytidae is presented to reconcile characters of the Mesozoic and recent taxa, without recognition of Aphytocerinae Kirejtshuk, 2013. Lebanophytum Kirejtshuk and Azar (=Lebanophytidae Kirejtshuk in Kirejtshuk and Azar, 2013), originally placed in Cerophytidae, is removed from Elateroidea and placed in the cucujoid family Cryptophagidae. The family Lebanophytidae Kirejtshuk in Kirejtshuk and Azar, 2013, based on this genus, becomes a junior synonym of Cryptophagidae Kirby, 1826 (syn. nov.). The two species Praelaterium problematicum Dolin, 1973 and Elaterocoleus oculatus Dolin, 1973, originally included in the family Praelateriidae Dolin, are moved to the family Cerophytidae, and Praelateriidae Dolin, 1973 is regarded as a junior synonym of Cerophytidae Latreille, 1834 (syn. nov.). Jurassophytum cleidecostae Yu, Ślipinski and Pang gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou beds (Inner Mongolia, northeastern China), and Amberophytum birmanicum Yu, Ślipinski and Pang gen. et sp. nov., Necromeropsis minutus Yu, Ślipinski and Pang gen. et sp. nov., Brachycerophytum cretaceum Yu, Ślipinski and Pang sp. nov. and Cerophytum albertalleni Yu, Ślipinski and Pang sp. nov. from the Upper Cretaceous amber deposits of Myanmar are described and illustrated.

The first complete beetle body fossil from the Australian early Late Permian fossil site Belmont is described here, †Ponomarenkia belmonthensis sp. nov., attributed to a new extinct family †Ponomarenkiidae. Shortly before a dramatic biodiversity crisis at the end of the Palaeozoic, it documents profound transitions in the evolution of Coleoptera, today by far the most species-rich group of insects and the largest order of organisms. †Ponomarenkia displays transitional states of several important characters, excluding it from the ancestral earliest stem-group coleopterans (e.g. †Tshecardocoleidae), but also from the four ‘modern’ extant suborders. In contrast to †Tshecardocoleidae, †Permocupedidae and †Rhomboleidae, it lacks the ancestral very broad and apically truncated prosternal process and a broad prothoracic postcoxal bridge, features suggesting a position in Coleoptera sensu stricto, i.e. the crown group of beetles. However, it does not share apomorphic features with extant Archostemata (e.g. narrow...

Middle–Late Triassic fossil beetles previously assigned to Polyphaga incertae sedis and new material from this period are described and illustrated. †Peltosynidae fam. nov. is introduced to contain the type genus Peltosyne, and species P. triassica Ponomarenko, 1977, together with the new species P. varyvrosa sp. nov. Two new monospecific genera, Gnathopeltos gen. nov. and Ofthalmopeltos gen. nov., with type species G. dixis sp. nov. and O. synkritos sp. nov., are also included in †Peltosynidae. Morphological characters evaluated with respect to their phylogenetic significance confirm that the family belongs to the suborder Polyphaga, mainly supported by the apomorphic internalized propleura. †Peltosynidae is characterized by a large transverse head, long and prominent, strongly developed mandibles, a short prosternum with a narrow, relatively short prosternal process, an interlocking mechanism between this process and a groove of the anteromedian process of the mesoventrite, striated elytra, a short meta...

Significance We inferred the phylogeny and evolution of beetles using genomic data of an unprecedented scale. Moreover, we documented the diversification of plant-feeding (herbivorous) beetles, which account for nearly half of all beetle species and a similar proportion of herbivorous insects, following convergent horizontal transfers of bacterial and fungal genes enabling the digestion of lignocellulose in plant cell walls. Our findings clarify beetle phylogenetic relationships and reveal new insights into the evolution of specialized herbivory and why there are so many species of beetles. Furthermore, they underscore the intimacy and complexity of the evolutionary relationships between insects, plants, and microorganisms and show how analyses of large-scale genomic data are revealing the evolution and genomic basis of insect biodiversity., The order Coleoptera (beetles) is arguably the most speciose group of animals, but the evolutionary history of beetles, including the impacts of plant feeding (herbivory) on beetle diversification, remain poorly understood. We inferred the phylogeny of beetles using 4,818 genes for 146 species, estimated timing and rates of beetle diversification using 89 genes for 521 species representing all major lineages and traced the evolution of beetle genes enabling symbiont-independent digestion of lignocellulose using 154 genomes or transcriptomes. Phylogenomic analyses of these uniquely comprehensive datasets resolved previously controversial beetle relationships, dated the origin of Coleoptera to the Carboniferous, and supported the codiversification of beetles and angiosperms. Moreover, plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) obtained from bacteria and fungi via horizontal gene transfers may have been key to the Mesozoic diversification of herbivorous beetles—remarkably, both major independent origins of specialized herbivory in beetles coincide with the first appearances of an arsenal of PCWDEs encoded in their genomes. Furthermore, corresponding (Jurassic) diversification rate increases suggest that these novel genes triggered adaptive radiations that resulted in nearly half of all living beetle species. We propose that PCWDEs enabled efficient digestion of plant tissues, including lignocellulose in cell walls, facilitating the evolution of uniquely specialized plant-feeding habits, such as leaf mining and stem and wood boring. Beetle diversity thus appears to have resulted from multiple factors, including low extinction rates over a long evolutionary history, codiversification with angiosperms, and adaptive radiations of specialized herbivorous beetles following convergent horizontal transfers of microbial genes encoding PCWDEs.

Polyneoptera represents one of the major lineages of winged insects, comprising around 40,000 extant species in 10 traditional orders, including grasshoppers, roaches, and stoneflies. Many important aspects of polyneopteran evolution, such as their phylogenetic relationships, changes in their external appearance, their habitat preferences, and social behavior, are unresolved and are a major enigma in entomology. These ambiguities also have direct consequences for our understanding of the evolution of winged insects in general; for example, with respect to the ancestral habitats of adults and juveniles. We addressed these issues with a large-scale phylogenomic analysis and used the reconstructed phylogenetic relationships to trace the evolution of 112 characters associated with the external appearance and the lifestyle of winged insects. Our inferences suggest that the last common ancestors of Polyneoptera and of the winged insects were terrestrial throughout their lives, implying that wings did not evolve in an aquatic environment. The appearance of the first polyneopteran insect was mainly characterized by ancestral traits such as long segmented abdominal appendages and biting mouthparts held below the head capsule. This ancestor lived in association with the ground, which led to various specializations including hardened forewings and unique tarsal attachment structures. However, within Polyneoptera, several groups switched separately to a life on plants. In contrast to a previous hypothesis, we found that social behavior was not part of the polyneopteran ground plan. In other traits, such as the biting mouthparts, Polyneoptera shows a high degree of evolutionary conservatism unique among the major lineages of winged insects.

The infraorder Elateriformia is crucial for understanding of basal beetles evolution from extraordinarily diverse Polyphaga suborder. However early stages of Elateriformia evolutionary history are far from being studied comprehensively. Here we describe a new genus and species, Serecoleus nadbitovae gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, northeastern China. S. nadbitovae clearly belongs to Byrrhoidea, but is different from all known families based on the combination of following characters: shallow longitudinal frontal depression between eyes; obliterated frontoclypeal suture; presence of wide membranous area (basal membrane) between frontoclypeus and free labrum; mandibles with pointed, sickle-shaped apices; subtriangular mentum and praementum with median groove; elytra with fine punctures arranged in rows. S. nadbitovae sp. nov. is compared with similar contemporaneous species and the relationship with those fossils, as well as with extant taxa, is discussed. More remarkably, our finding proves the basal taxonomic position of Byrrhoidea.

The Early Cretaceous dragonfly Hemeroscopus baissicus Pritykina is reported for the first time from the Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, Northwest China based on adult wings. These wings are different from those from other localities in two aspects: the oblique crossvein ‘O’ is 3 or 4 cells distal of the subnodus; the wing size is much smaller (30–42 mm in length for forewings). These differences are considered to be intraspecific variations, based on which diagnoses of the genus Hemeroscopus and the family Hemeroscopidae are revised. The discovery of H . baissicus in Jiuquan suggests that the Zhonggou Formation may be correlated with the Fuxin Formation in Liaoning Province, the Lushangfen Formation in western Beijing, and the Dongmyeong Formation in southern Korea. A possible migration path of the dragonfly is indicated that it initially appeared in Transbaikalia in the Aptian, migrated southwestwards to Mongolia in the Aptian or early Albian, and then southwestwards to northwest China, southeastwards to northeast China, and southern Korea in the early Albian.

One of the most interesting Mesozoic Lagerstatten, Shar Teg in southwestern Mongolia, is reviewed. The geological structure and oryctocoenoses of Shar Teg are described. Shar Teg is one of the most diverse Jurassic Lagerstatten in terms of fossils represented. Fossils from Shar Teg include aquatic and terrestrial plants, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Insects are the most diverse group. To date, a total of 297 species of 161 families and 22 orders have been described or recorded in Shar Teg, making it possible to reconstruct comprehensively the Jurassic biota of the locality. The oryctocoenosis composition is peculiar; it includes only six species described from other localities. The oryctocoenosis appears to link the faunas of eastern Asia, Central Asia, and Europe. A total of 31 new species are described.

Two new monotypic genera of the family Lasiosynidae, Microsyne gen. nov. and Crassisyne gen. nov., are described from two Early Cretaceous localities: Baisa (Eastern Siberia, Zaza Formation) and Sharyn-Gol (Mongolia, Sharyn-Gol Formation): Peculiar morphological features of different lasiosynid genera and general trends of their morphological evolution are discussed.

We present a summary of the fossil evidence documenting the worldwide occurrence of the family Hydrophilidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Hydrophiloidea) in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. We present the first known fossils of the family from the Mesozoic, being c. 100 Myr older than the fossil record available until now. Two Late Jurassic fossils are documented: Protochares brevipalpis gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Talbragar Fish Bed (New South Wales, Australia) and ‘Mesosperchus’ schultzi Ponomarenko, 1985 from Solnhofen (Bavaria, Germany). The occurrence of the Hydrophilidae in the Early Cretaceous is documented by six species, all of which may be already assigned to modern subfamilies/tribes: Baissalarva hydrobioides gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Baissa outcrops (Buryat Republic, Russia) and Cretoxenus australis gen. nov., sp. nov. from Koonwarra outcrops (Victoria, Australia) are both assigned to the tribe Hydrobiusini (Hydrophilinae); Alegorius yixianus gen. nov., sp. nov. and Alegorius sp. from the Yixian Formation (Liaoning, China) may represent the Acidocerinae or Enochrinae, Hydroyixia elongata gen. nov., sp. nov. and H. latissima sp. nov. from the same locality are assigned to the Acidocerinae. The phylogenetic position of Baissalarva hydrobioides is also tested by a phylogenetic analysis. The presence of extant clades (Hydrophilinae: Hydrobiusini, Acidocerinae) in the Early Cretaceous and the wide distribution of the Hydrobiusini in both Gondwana and Laurasia at the same time suggests that the principal extant clades of the Hydrophilidae are at least of Early–Middle Jurassic origin. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London

New beetles are described from the Middle Permian (Upper Capitanian) locality Yinping (Anhui Province, China): Linicupes yinpinensis gen. et sp. nov. (Permocupedidae), Taldycupes pingi sp. nov. (Taldycupedidae), Archosyne permiana gen. et sp. nov., Chaocoleus limnebius gen. et sp. nov. (Ademosynidae) and Asiocoleopsis hongi sp. nov. (Asiocoleidae); the type material of Dikerocoleus divisus Lin, 1982 from the same type locality is redescribed. Comparison with beetles from the Permian of European Russia shows that Yinping beetles are similar to Late Severodvinian beetles rather than to Early Severodvinian and Urzhumian ones.

Four new genera and species of long-proboscid Paradoxosisyrinae (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) are described from the Upper Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar: Buratina truncata gen. et sp. nov., Sidorchukatia gracilis gen. et sp. nov., Protosiphoniella anthophila gen. et sp. nov. and Khobotun elephantinus gen. et sp. nov. Presence of an elongated labrum is confirmed for Paradoxosisyrinae for the first time. 3D modelling was used to demonstrate how the mouthparts of B. truncata were assembled together during feeding. We show that there is considerable diversity in the morphology of mouthparts, wing venation and wing patterns of Paradoxosisyrinae. Nectar-feeding habits are suggested for Paradoxosisyrinae on the basis of microscopic examination of their stylet-like mouthpart structures. Possible reasons for evolutionary failure of long-proboscid Neuroptera are discussed.

Jurodidae are thought to be some of the world's most mysterious beetles and display an intriguing mixture of characters occurring in three different suborders. Hitherto, all known fossil and extant Jurodidae were extremely rare and restricted to Russian Siberia and the Far East. Here we describe two new species, Jurodes daohugouensis sp. nov. and Jurodes pygmaeus sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, China. A key to all species of Jurodidae and their research history are given, and the detailed morphology of fossil Jurodidae is also presented. Our results confirm the presence of three ocelli in fossil Jurodidae, and reveal that hind wings of J. pygmaeus sp. nov. possess well developed radial and oblong cells, and are very similar to those of extant Jurodidae ( Sikhotealinia zhiltzovae ). Male genitalia of fossil Jurodidae were described herein for the first time, showing a basal trilobate structure. The presence of exposed propleuron, three pairs of external trochantins, metanepisterna with ridges, primitive characters of wing venation further support the probable placement of Jurodidae in the suborder Archostemata. J. daohugouensis and J. pygmaeus are very similar to S. zhiltzovae in having the big protruding eyes, elevated median portion of frons bearing three ocelli, pubescent body, contiguous procoxae, exposed trachantion of all coxae, elytra with rows of punctures, and wing venation. Our results show that these key characters of extant Jurodidae can be traced back to the Middle Jurassic, revealing that the family has been in a period of evolutionary stasis for at least 160 million years. Furthermore, our discoveries widen the paleogeographic distribution of fossil Jurodidae from Russian Siberia to northern China.

A new beetle species, Lasiosyne laxa n. sp., is described from the Jurassic Daohugou deposits in Inner Mongolia, China. Its morphological significance and systematic position within the genus Lasiosyne Kirejtshuk et al., 2010a , Kirejtshuk et al., 2010b and the family Lasiosynidae are discussed. The research history of Lasiosynidae is summarized for the first time. The affiliation of Lasiosynidae to the superfamily Byrrhoidea is discussed in detail.

Mesozoic fossils of longhorn beetles, leaf beetles and other Chrysomeloidea are extremely rare, and little is known about the early evolutionary history of this extraordinarily diverse superfamily of beetles. Here we report the earliest known fossil cerambycid, Cretoprionus liutiaogouensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China. C. liutiaogouensis bears several features characteristic of the extant subfamily Prioninae, including a large and robust body, absence of a stridulatory plate on the mesonotum, pseudotetramerous tarsi, mouthparts projecting forwards, and lateral carinae on the prothorax. It represents the only definite Mesozoic record of Cerambycidae, and extends the time of origin of the Prioninae as early as the Early Cretaceous. We incorporate two new calibration points as minimum constraints on the age of (1) Prioninae + Parandrinae and (2) Bruchinae using data from a recent molecular phylogenetic study of Chrysomeloidea, to reconstruct divergence times among the...

Lower Cretaceous beetles belonging to the extinct tribe Brochocoleini (Coleoptera: Cupedidae: Ommatinae) are revised and five new species proposed in the extinct Eurasian genus Brochocoleus: Brochocoleus yangshuwanziensis sp. nov. (Yixian Formation, China); Brochocoleus crowsonae sp. nov., Brochocoleus keenani sp. nov., Brochocoleus tobini sp. nov. (Weald Clay Group, UK); and Brochocoleus maximus sp. nov. (Purbeck Limestone Group, UK). New morphological data is provided for Brochocoleus impressus and Brochocoleus sulcatus stat. nov. of which Brochocoleus angustus is considered a synonym (Yixian Fm.). The hindwing venation is described for the first time supporting the basal position of this tribe. A simple key is provided to all Cretaceous species of this presumably xylophagous, warm climate genus.

The first two rove beetle fossils discovered from the Late Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed in New South Wales, Australia are described and illustrated.Juroglypholoma talbragarensen. sp. is the second fossil record for one of the smallest and latest recognized staphylinid subfamily Glypholomatinae. The other staphylinid,Protachinus minorn. gen. n. sp., is an unusual member of extant subfamily Tachyporinae (tribe Tachyporini). It significantly retains several distinct features, including entire epistomal suture, and abdominal tergites III–VI each with a pair of basolateral ridges. The discovery of a new glypholomatine in Australia, together with recently reported one from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou biota of China, suggests the subfamily Glypholomatinae was probably much more widespread in the Jurassic than previously thought.

A new rove beetle species, Sinoxytelus transbaicalicus sp. nov., is described and figured from the Urey locality (Urey beds, Early Cretaceous?), Transbaikalia, Russia. Sinoxytelus is the dominant genus in the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China, but this is the first report from the territory of Russia. The new species can be easily separated from the rest of its congeners by the presence of a relatively large head, transverse pronotum, and slightly tapered abdomen. In addition, the systematic position of Sinoxytelus in the extant subfamily Oxytelinae is discussed. Sinoxytelus is transferred from the tribe Oxytelini to the more basal tribe Coprophilini.

A new genus, Cretasyne gen. nov. , in the family Lasiosynidae, with two species C. lata sp. nov. and C. longa sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. These fossils are the first record of the family from the Yixian Formation and provide significant information on lasiosynid morphology and diversity. The fossil record of Lasiosynidae is also reviewed.

Lower Cretaceous beetles belonging to the extant tribe Ommatini (Coleoptera: Cupedidae: Ommatinae) are revised and six new species proposed in the extinct Eurasian genusCionocoleus:Cionocoleus tanaesp. n.,Cionocoleus olympicussp. n. (Yixian Formation, China);Cionocoleus elizabethaesp. n.,Cionocoleus watsonisp. n.,Cionocoleus minimussp. n. (Weald Clay Group, UK); andCionocoleus jepsonisp. n. (Purbeck Limestone Group, UK). New morphological data is provided forCionocoleus magicusandCionocoleus cervicalisstat. n. of whichCionocoleus planiusculusis considered a synonym (Yixian Formation).Cionocoleus punctatuscomb. n. is considered the oldest record (Upper Jurassic; Kazakhstan) of this presumably xylophagous, warm climate genus. A simple key is provided to all known species ofCionocoleus.

A new schizophorid beetle, Sinoschizala darani n. gen. n. sp. (Insecta: Coleoptera), is described from the Middle Jurassic volcano-sedimentary siliciclastics of the Daohugou Konservat-Lagerstatte (Inner Mongolia). Our knowledge of the allied aquatic archostematans is summarized with a particular reference to China. The unusual orientation (outspread elytra in flight position) and rare incomplete preservation (no head or abdomen) are discussed. With a wingspan of four centimetres, this is the largest species of Schizophoridae yet found in China, and the unique holotype suggests a natural casualty of a mating or colonizing flight rather than a volcanic eruption.

Six new species of the genus Lasiosyne Tan et al., 2007, the type genus of the family Lasiosynidae Kirejtshuk et al., 2010, are described from Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits of Mongolia and East Siberia: L. shartegiensis sp. nov., L. insculpta sp. nov., L. longitarsa sp. nov., L. cataphracta sp. nov., L. punctata sp. nov., and L. decora sp. nov. A modified diagnosis of the genus is proposed.

Chukotka is a key region for understanding both Quaternary environmental history and transcontinental migrations of flora and fauna during the Pleistocene as it lies at the far eastern edge of Asia bordering the Bering Sea. The now submerged land bridge is the least understood region of Beringia yet the most critical to understanding migrations between the Old and New Worlds. The insect fauna of the Main River Ledovy Obryv (Ice Bluff) section, which is late Pleistocene in age (MIS 3-2), is markedly different from coeval faunas of areas further to the west, as it is characterized by very few thermophilous steppe elements. From the fauna we reconstruct a steppe-tundra environment and relatively cold conditions; the reconstructed environment was moister than that of typical steppe-tundra described from further west. The data from this locality, if typical of the Chukotka Peninsula as a whole, may indicate that a barrier associated with the environments of the land bridge restricted trans-Beringian migrations, particularly the more thermophilous and xeric-adapted elements of the Beringian biota, supporting the hypothesis of a cool but moist land-bridge filter inferred from evidence from several other studies.

Three new beetle species of the formal genus Artematopoides, i.e., A. maximus sp. nov., A. crispulus sp. nov., and A. lepidus sp. nov., from the Mongolian Shar-Teg locality are described. Early Jurassic Ovivagina propinqua Zhang, 1997, O. prolixa Zhang, 1997, and O. insculpta Zhang, 1997 from the Junggar Basin (Xinjiang, China) and Middle Jurassic Sinonitidulina longa Hong, 1983 from the Zhouyingzi locality (Hebei, China) are transferred to Artematopoides, and the three species from Xinjiang are redescribed. Ovivagina immediata Zhang, 1997 is synonymized with O. insculpta Zhang, 1997. A new name, Artematopodites leskoviensis Yan, nom. nov., is proposed for A. longus Ponomarenko, 1990, which proved to be a junior secondary homonym of A. longa (Hong, 1983).

A new coleopteran genus, Parelateriformius, gen. nov., comprising the species P. communis, sp. nov., P. villosus, sp. nov., P. capitifossus, sp. nov., and P. mirabdominis, sp. nov., is described from Daohugou deposits, Inner Mongolia, China, and is assigned to the infraorder Elateriformia. The systematic position of the new genus within the suborder Polyphaga is discussed.

A new coleopteran genus, Anacapitis gen. nov., comprising A. karataviensis sp. nov., A. incertus sp. nov., and A. oblongus sp. nov., is described from the Karabastau Formation of the Karatau locality (southern Kazakhstan, Middle-Late Jurassic) in the infraorder Elateriformia. The systematic position of the new genus within the suborder Polyphaga is discussed.

Summary Insects use different parts of their body to cling to mating partners, to catch prey, or to defend themselves, in most cases the mouthparts or the legs. However, in 400 million years of evolution [1, 2], specialized devices were independently acquired in several groups to adopt these tasks, as for instance modified legs in mantids, assassin bugs or stick insects [3–5], or clasping antennae of the globular springtails [6]. So far, no known species used the neck region between the head and thorax in one of these functional contexts. Here we describe females of † Caputoraptor elegans , a very unusual, presumably predacious insect discovered in approximately 100-million-year-old [7] Burmese amber. Based on several morphological features, we conclude that this species lived in the foliage of trees or bushes. A unique feature of the new taxon is a scissor-like mechanism formed by wing-like extensions on the posterior head and corresponding serrated edges of the dorsal sclerite of the first thoracic segment. Based on the specific structure of the apparatus, we conclude that it was probably used by females to hold on to males during copulation. A defensive or prey-catching function appears less likely. A similar mechanism did not evolve in any other known known group of extant or extinct insects.