Palaeoboganium gen. nov. from the Middle Jurassic of China (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Boganiidae): the first cycad pollinators?

Palaeoboganium jurassicumgen. et sp. nov. is described from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou formation in northern China.Palaeoboganium jurassicumis the first fossil representative of the enigmatic family Boganiidae, currently known from Gondwanan localities in South Africa, Australia and New Caledonia. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of adult external characters,Palaeoboganiumis recovered as the sister group ofParacucujusSen Gupta & Crowson andMetacucujusEndrödy-Younga & Crowson (Paracucujinae), whose adults pollinate cycads in Australia and South Africa. Based on phylogenetic evidence this taxon is suggested to be a potential pollinator of Jurassic cycads. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7EDB8295-5EF3-40ED-9A84-479AD23611AF [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]