Frischianus gen. nov., a new genus of the Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey, 1878 from the Oriental Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini)

JOHANNES FRISCH, LEE HERMAN — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200

A new genus of the paederine subtribe Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey, 1878 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini), Frischianus Herman, gen. nov., is described from the Oriental Zoogeographical Region with F. rufulus (Kraatz, 1859) as the type species. Frischianus is distinguished from the other genera of the Scopaeina according to an epigenal ridge and dorsally contiguous groove connecting the trichobothrium to the antennal hump, bump-like metakatepisternal processes, and a unipartite gonocoxal plate of females.

The following names are transferred from Scopaeus as new combinations: Frischianus coriaceus (Cameron, 1932), F. laticollis (Cameron, 1925), F. miscellus (Cameron, 1932), and F. rufulus (Kraatz, 1859). Lectotypes are designated for Lithocharis rufulus Kraatz, 1859, Medon coriaceus Cameron, 1932, M. miscellus Cameron, 1932, and Scopaeus laticollis Cameron, 1925.

Thirty new species of Frischianus are described: F. barclayi Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. brenneri Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. burckhardti Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. communis Frisch, sp. nov. (Bali, Borneo, Java, Malay Peninsula), F. crassiphallatus Frisch, sp. nov. (Thailand), F. curtipennis Frisch, sp. nov. (Sumatra), F. echinatospinatus Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. hamatus Frisch, sp. nov. (Sumatra), F. huijbregtsi Frisch, sp. nov. (Sulawesi), F. karneri Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. keralensis Frisch, sp. nov. (India), F. latilobatoides Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. latilobatus Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. lineatocollis Frisch, sp. nov. (India), F. lineolatus Frisch, sp. nov. (India), F. loebli Frisch, sp. nov. (Sumatra), F. mariae Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. parentium Frisch, sp. nov. (India), F. pedator Frisch, sp. nov. (Sumatra), F. puthzi Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. rubiginicollis Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. schuriani Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. serratispinatus Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. setifer Frisch, sp. nov. (Java), F. similis Frisch, sp. nov. (Java), F. strigaticollis Frisch, sp. nov. (India), F. subalpinus Frisch, sp. nov. (Sumatra), F. telnovi Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo), F. tridens Frisch, sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), F. uhligi Frisch, sp. nov. (Borneo).

Frischianus is considered a monophyletic group mainly according to the unipartite female gonocoxal plate. The phylogenetic relationships of Frischianus within the Scopaeina and its infrageneric phylogeny are discussed. According to putative apomorphic characters, Frischianus is subdivided into the F. strigaticollis species group from South India and the speciose, Southeast Asian F. laticollis species group. Within the F. laticollis subgroup, subordinate phylogenetic lineages are distinguished.

Staphylinoid beetles in Lower Cretaceous Hkamti amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Staphylinoidea): An overview

SHÛHEI YAMAMOTO — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200

A super-rich and extremely diverse assemblage of insect fossils has been well-documented from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (ca. 99 Ma) in the Kachin State of northern Myanmar. In contrast, only four beetle (Coleoptera) species have formally been described from the slightly older Lower Cretaceous Hkamti (Khamti) amber (ca. 110 Ma), also originating from northern Myanmar’s Sagaing Region. The polyphagan beetle superfamily Staphylinoidea, encompassing approximately 75,000 species, is among the largest superfamilies in the animal kingdom. This study records 11 staphylinoid fossils, providing a comprehensive overview of the Hkamti amber biota. These fossils were classified into three families (Hydraenidae, Colonidae, and Staphylinidae). The highest paleodiversity was observed in the rove beetle family Staphylinidae; nine specimens from six staphylinid subfamilies (Osoriinae, Tachyporinae, Aleocharinae, Steninae, Solieriinae, and Scydmaeninae) were identified. With the exception of Steninae, all are reported for the first time from Hkamti amber. Notably, the discoveries of colonid, osoriine, aleocharine, and stenine (previously recorded) beetles represent the oldest known fossils for these groups. Additionally, the hydraenid and tachyporine fossils are the earliest biological amber inclusions reported for their respective familiy or subfamiliy. Three new species are herein described: Colonellus (Colonellus) hkamtiensis sp. nov. (Colonidae), Cretochirus elongatus sp. nov. (Staphylinidae: Osoriinae: Leptochirini), and Prosolierius antennatus sp. nov. (Staphylinidae: Solieriinae). These findings underscore the presence of a potentially diverse Staphylinoidea paleofauna in Hkamti amber, although it remains likely underestimated, warranting further investigation. This study highlights a striking similarity in entomofaunal composition between the Hkamti and Kachin amber deposits, supporting a previously suggested close affinity between the two. Additionally, the fossils described here provide valuable calibration points for future molecular dating analyses.

Megataxa

Frischianus gen. nov., a new genus of the Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey, 1878 from the Oriental Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini)

Staphylinoid beetles in Lower Cretaceous Hkamti amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Staphylinoidea): An overview