The present work shows predatory behavior of the social orb-weaver spider, Geratonephila burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Araneae: Nephilidae) against a parasitic wasp, Cascoscelio incassa n. gen., n. sp., (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae) in Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. An adult male and juvenile of Geratonephila burmanica n. gen., n. sp. in the...
A new genus and species of chrysomeline, Stenaspidiotus microptilus, n. gen., n. sp., (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae) is described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters include an elongate, flattened body; small eyes; a narrow, long pronotum with a width/length ratio of 1.6, an irregular pronotal surface with marginated lateral edges, distinct humeral...
A new genus and species of megaridid, Minysporops dominicanus gen. n., sp. n. (Hemiptera: Megarididae), is described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters include: Minute (under 2.00 mm), glabrous, nearly round body; declivitous flat-topped head; eyes constricted near middle, with dorsal eye shields; ocelli ovoid-elliptical; antennae 4-segmented, setose; rostrum 4- segmented;...
A new genus and species of bostrichid, Discoclavata dominicana n. gen., n. sp., (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and a new genus and species of eucnemid, Lissantauga epicrana n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) are described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters of Discoclavata dominicana include an extended body, strongly hypognathous head, asparate dorsal...
Remains of parasites in vertebrates are rare from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic. Once most parasites that live in - or pass through - the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrates, fossil feces (coprolites) or even intestinal contents (enterolites) can eventually preserve their remains. Here we announce the discovery of a spiral shark...
Silica bodies in short cell epidermal leaf cells of the Early Cretaceous Programinis laminatus (Poales) in Burmese amber are characterized. The great majority are rondels and elongated quadrates aligned horizontally in relation to the leaf axis. Rondel types include circular, elliptical, oblong, long and short forms. Quadrate types include short...
Two new species of cicada hatchlings in Burmese and Dominican amber are described as Novicicada burmanica n. gen., n. sp. and N. youngi n. gen., n. sp. in the new collective genus Novicicada n. gen. (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). Diagnostic characters of the new genus are an elongate, flattened body, all antennomeres...
Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) is described from a fecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber. The fossil can be distinguished from most extant species of the closely related extant genus Rhodococcus Zopf, 1891 by its spherical cocci forming substrate filaments with elementary branching,...
Parasite distributions fundamentally depend on the distributions of their hosts but may be more restricted than their hosts. Host-parasite symbioses tend to be spatially aggregated, and widely distributed host-parasite relationships are rare. Here, we combine field observations with published collection data to document the current known distribution of the nematode,...
The Myristicaceae is a member of the early diverging angiosperm order Magnoliales, however the family is poorly represented by fossil collections. We describe Virola dominicana sp. nov. (Myristicaceae), the first record of fossilized Myristicaceae flowers, from mid-Tertiary (45-15 mya) Dominican amber. The description is based on 24 male flowers in...
Alarista succina gen. et sp. nov. (Poaceae) is described from a single floret preserved in amber of Tertiary age originating from the Dominican Republic. The new genus is characterized by 1) a narrow winged lemma awn, 2) numerous (as many as 17) lemma nerves, 3) a lengthy rachilla internode (implying...
Nitula baltica sp. nov. and Cyathus dominicanus sp. nov. are described from Cenozoic Baltic and Dominican amber. These are the first fossil members of the Family Nidulariaceae and show that the basic characteristics of this group were already established some 40-50 million years ago.
A new genus and species, Bicalcasura maculata gen. n., sp. n. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) is described from Dominican amber as the first fossil member of the Tribe Diocalandrini. The new genus is characterized by procoxae located in the middle of the prothorax, a thick, short and strongly curved rostrum with...
Forty-four specimens of the weevil subfamily Cryptorhynchinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) in amber from the Dominican Republic were examined and 30 species are described in four extant and six newly erected genera. Included are descriptions of Anlemmus leptorhinus
n. gen., n sp., Apharosoma euryrhina n. gen., n sp., Episcirrus isolepus n. sp.,...
A new genus and species of Snail-killing flies, Dominimyza tanyacaena, n. gen., n. sp. (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) is described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters for Dominimyza include a propleuron with a strong bristle, an elongate porrect flagellum with a long, finely pubescent arista, divergent ocellar, post-ocellar and outer vertical bristles, convergent...
A new nematode, Tripius gyraloura n. sp.,
is described from the arundo gall midge, Lasioptera
donacis Coutin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). This gall
midge is being considered as a biological control agent
for use in North America against the introduced giant
reed Arundo donax (L.) (Poaceae: Cyperales). Thus
the present study was...
A new genus and species of belid weevils, Pleurambus strongylus Poinar and Legalov, n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in the tribe Allocorynini is described from Dominican amber. Belid fossils are quite rare and the new species is the first fossil member of the family from the Neotropics. This discovery...
Eulechriops argyrosoma sp. n. (Curculionoidea: Conoderinae: Lechropini) and Geratozygops platysoma sp. n., G. stenosoma sp. n. and G. arsinotus sp. n. are described from Dominican amber. The small size, nearly parallel side of the pronotum and silvery sheen distinguish E. argyrosoma from other members of the genus, which has not...
Pulchellaranea pedunculatas n. gen., n. sp. (Araneae: Araneidae), a new genus of orb web spiders, is described from Dominican amber. Diagnostic characters for the new taxon are: lateral eyes positioned on peduncles arising from the upper edge of the carapace, large, protruding anterior median eyes that are twice the diameter...
The following new species of Apioninae weevils (Coleoptera: Brentidae) are described from Dominican amber. Toxorhynchus leptorhinus n. sp., Toxorhynchus robustus n. sp., Toxorhynchus amphioculus n. sp., Toxorhynchus atriartus n. sp., Toxorhynchus atriantenus n. sp. and Toxorhynchus hispanicus n. sp. are members of the Toxorhynchus decoloratum species group. Toxorhynchus microsomus n....