The present study describes a primitive kissing bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. The fossil, which is described as Paleotriatoma metaxytaxa gen. et sp. nov., contains a predominance of features of the Triatominae as well as some characters of the Reduviinae and is considered an intermediate...
Spider wasps had long been proposed to originate in the mid-Cretaceous based on the Burmese amber fossil Bryopompilus interfector Engel and Grimaldi, 2006. We performed a morphological examination of this fossil and determined it does not belong to Pompilidae or any other described hymenopteran family. Instead, we place it in...
A new nematode species, Proparasitylenchus californicus n. sp., is described from the intertidal rove beetle Tarphiota geniculata (Mäklin) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in California, USA. The new species differs from European representatives of the genus by possessing a cleft stylet in both sexes. The parasitic female is ovoviviparous and produces numerous juveniles...
A flea preserved in Dominican amber is described as Atopopsyllus cionus, n. gen., n. sp., (Atopopsyllini n. tribe, Spilopsyllinae, Pulicidae). The male specimen has two unique characters that have not been noted in previous extant or extinct fleas, thus warranting its tribal status. These characters are 5-segmented maxillary palps and...
A new nematode, Anomalomermis ephemerophagis n. g., n. sp. (Nematoda: Mermithidae) is described from the mayfly Ephemerella maculata Traver, 1934 (Ephermeroptera: Ephermerellidae) in California. The new species is characterized by 6 cephalic papillae and 4 additional disk papillae located on the head between the cephalic papillae and stoma. Additional diagnostic...
Amber preserves microscopic, soft-bodies organisms and is a good medium in which to trace the evolution of pathogen-vector associations. Spirochetes-like cells (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in the hemocoel and lumen of the alimentary tract of a larva tick (Amblyomma sp. Arachnida: Ixodidae) in Dominican amber are described in the collective fossil genus...
The following new genus and seven new species of Cossonine weevils (Curculionidae: Cossoninae) are described from Dominican amber: Acamptus exilipes Poinar and Legalov, n. sp.,(similar to A. rigidus), Caulophilus camptus Poinar and Legalov, n. sp., (similar to C. bennetti), Caulophilus elongatus Poinar and Legalov, n. sp., (similar to C. swensoni)...
A new species of Dryophthorus (Coleoptera:Dryophthoridae) and two new species of Stenommatus (Coleoptera:Dryophthoridae) are described from Dominican amber. D. microtremus n. sp. is characterized by monochrome dorsal scales, nearly parallel sides of the pronotum, wide elytral intervals and the elytral apex only slightly narrowed. S. tanyrhinus n. sp. is characterized...
Rickettsial-like cells are reported from the body cavity of the Myanmar amber larval tick, Cornupalpatum burmanicum (Ixodida: Ixodidae). These cells are characterized and described in a new collective fossil genus erected for putative rickettsial in fossil ticks. The size and shape of the fossil cells resemble those of present day...
New genera and species of Jumping Ground Bugs (Hemiptera: Schizopteridae) are described in Dominican and Burmese amber. In Dominican amber are described: Hypselosoma dominicana Poinar and Brown sp. n., Schizoptera dominicana Poinar sp. n. and Schizoptera hispaniolae Poinar sp. n. In Burmese amber are described: Lumatibialis burmitis Poinar gen. et...