A new species of Eocene fossil Malthodes (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) with a rarely observed aedeagus.

A new Malthodes (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Malthininae) in Eocene amber from Poland (Baltic amber) is illustrated and described here: Malthodes (s. str.) maximiliani sp. nov. The new species of soldier beetle is characterized by its small body size and last tergites and last sternite distinct from similar taxa. Notably, the specimen has a partially visible aedeagus, a characteristic rarely seen in fossil Malthodes of the nominotypical subgenus; it has been observed in only three fossil species of this subgenus.

The first species of Cantharis from Ukrainian Rovno amber (Coleoptera, Cantharidae).

Cantharis michaeli sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Upper Eocene Rovno amber from Ukraine. This is the first fossil Cantharis (soldier beetles, Cantharidae) from this deposit. The new species is compared with other fossil species of the genus Cantharis. It is similar to C. raeorum Fanti & M. G. Pankowski, 2020, but C. michaeli sp. nov. has a larger body, shorter antennae, and slight differences in both its antennae and pronotum. A review is provided of other soldier beetles found in Rovno amber, as well as a brief overview of the paleoenvironment where this amber formedan area that included extensive forests, large rivers, and warm temperatures.

Two new fossil species of soldier beetles (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Malthininae) from Baltic amber.

Two new species of soldier beetles from the subfamily MalthininaeMalthinus masoni sp. nov. and Malthodes markpankowskii sp. nov.are described from Baltic amber. Their discovery is yet more evidence of the remarkable number of Cantharidae in Europe during the Eocene. This diversity is likely the result of several forces, including the warmer climate that characterized the epoch as well as the wide variety of habitats where Baltic amber formed.

A new species of Afrodiaphanes Geisthardt, 2007 (Coleoptera, Lampyridae), the first firefly described from the Central African Republic.

A new species of firefly, Afrodiaphanes pulcher sp. nov., is described, diagnosed and illustrated. This is the first species of Afrodiaphanes described from the Central African Republic as well as the first firefly described from this nation.

A new fossil Silis Charpentier, 1825 from Baltic amber (Cantharidae, Silinae, Silini).

A new fossil species of the family Cantharidae from Eocene Baltic amber, Silis (Silis) boninoi sp. nov., is described, diagnosed and illustrated. The new species is characterized by its extremely small body size along with a very wide and transverse pronotum with two short and quite robust lobes on each side. It is compared with other known taxa of the genus Silis from Baltic, Dominican and Mexican ambers.

Two new species of soldier beetles (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), the first from the tribe Silini in Dominican amber.

The Silinae is the most frequently observed subfamily of soldier beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera, Cantharidae) living today in Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti). This subfamily also was recently found in Dominican amber with the discovery of the genus Tytthonyx (Silinae, Tytthonyxini). Here we describe and illustrate two new species of this subfamilythe first representatives of the tribe Silini and genus Silis in Dominican amber. Silis (s. str.) hegnai sp. nov. and Silis (s. str.) curleri sp. nov. are easily distinguishable from extinct species of Silis as well as those living in Hispaniola today.

Updated checklist of the Cantharidae, Lampyridae, and Lycidae of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Coleoptera: Elateroidea).

Here we present a checklist of the families Cantharidae, Lampyridae, and Lycidae of Luxembourg. The earlier references are summarized and new information on the some species is reported. Furthermore, Cantharis (s. str.) paludosa Fall, 1807, Cantharis (s. str.) terminata Faldermann, 1835, Erotides cosnardi (Chevrolat, 1831), and Lopheros rubens (Gyllenhal, 1817) are cited for the first time for Luxembourg based on specimens preserved in the National Museum of Natural History or on a photo reported on the iNaturalist platform.

Two new species of Cantharis Linnaeus, 1758 from Baltic amber.

Two new species of soldier beetles (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from the Priabonian deposits in Yantarny, Russia (Baltic amber) are described. Cantharis crisantha sp. nov. is characterized by its relatively small body size, laterally rounded prothorax, and simple claws with a small basal tooth. Of particular interest, this specimen has its aedeagus extruded-a feature described for the first time in a representative of the genus Cantharis found in amber, and something rarely seen in all known fossil species of the Cantharidae family. The second described species, Cantharis raeorum sp. nov., is characterized by a pronotum with straight sides and a transverse and concave part near the posterior margin. The species are compared with earlier reported fossil Cantharis.

A new Eocene soldier beetle (Cantharidae) of the genus †Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 from Baltic amber.

Recent studies of extinct soldier beetles have generated an immense amount of new information. Scientists have described various new species of †Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892, confirming the remarkable diversification and evolution of this genus and the Cantharidae family during the Eocene. In the present work, we describe a new species from Baltic amber. Cacomorphocerus marki sp. nov., is the first species of Cacomorphocerus discovered with filiform 11-segmented antennae. Based on inclusions in Baltic and Rovno amber, it now appears certain that the genus Cacomorphocerus and the tribe Cacomorphocerini Fanti Kupryjanowicz, 2018 evolved and subsequently went extinct in Europe during the Eocene. Known for more than 100 years from a single species, the genus is now known to be far more morphologically diversified thanks to these recent discoveries.

Baltic amber: A new Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 with two specimens preserved in a single piece, and four new Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852.

The Baltic amber has proven to be an incredible resource for the environmental and faunistic diversity of the Eocene and this is also evident from the vast amount of Cantharidae species (soldier beetles) described as inclusions in this resin and Fossil-Lagerstätte. The present work contributes to highlighting both this trend and the variety of forms in particular for the genus Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 with four new species described and with the addition of a new species of Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 with two specimens included in the same amber piece. The new forms, described and illustrated here, are: Cacomorphocerus obstinatus sp. nov., Malthodes giannii sp. nov., Malthodes immortalis sp. nov., Malthodes marialuisae sp. nov., and Malthodes unimol sp. nov.

A new fossil Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 from the Eocene Baltic amber (Coleoptera Cantharidae).

A new Malthodes embedded in an amber piece of the Eocene from Kaliningrad region (Russia) is illustrated and described here. Most of the species of this genus, both living and fossil, show short elytra leaving some abdominal segments uncovered, as in the case of Malthodes tognettii sp. nov. The new species is characterized by the absence of the yellow spots on the elytral apex, the last sternite strongly curved and folded backward with weakly forked apex, and by the last tergite elongate, weakly forked apically and slightly bent downwards from half-length. A key of the Malthodes embedded in Baltic amber is also provided.

A new soldier beetle of the extinct tribe Cacomorphocerini Fanti amp; Kupryjanowicz, 2018.

A new fossil Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 from Baltic amber, i.e., Cacomorphocerus coleae sp. nov. is described. Related to C. eocenicus Bukejs, Fanti McKellar, 2019, the new species is characterized by 12 antennomeres that are little modified, with antennomere VI saucer-shaped and asymmetrical, antennomere V enlarged and antennomeres VII and VIII squarish and sub-rectangular. The slightly modified antennae of some species of Cacomorphocerus confirm a relationship with the genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuska, 1996. Therefore, given the synapomorphy of the antennae, Sucinorhagonycha is transferred from the tribe Cantharini Imhoff, 1856 to Cacomorphocerini Fanti Kupryjanowicz, 2018 (new placement).

New Cretaceous soldier beetle (Cantharidae) from Burmese amber with preserved coloration on the elytra.

In this paper, we describe a new genus and species of soldier beetles from Burmese amber, Elektrokleinia picta gen. et. sp. nov., characterized by triangular shape of the head behind the eyes, by the elytra not covering two urites and the last urite being concave at its apex. Additionally, this new specimen shows remarkable color preservation (black-blue) on the elytra, rarely present in amber or seen on fossil soldier beetles. This coloration with metallic nuances is here considered an aposematic character.

A new fossil soldier beetle (Coleoptera: Cantharidae: Malthininae) from Baltic amber.

The very abundant representatives of the genus Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852 from the Eocene amber forests show a remarkable diversity of body forms, especially regarding the last abdominal segments, both tergites and sternites. These structures are important during the mating. In the present work, we describe a new species, Malthodes gedanicus sp. nov. characterized by the last sternite elongated and apically divided into two long and flat squarish lobes with three tips of which the central is longest, and by the last tergite elongated and spatuliform apically. The phylogenetic relationships based only on the shape of the last abdominal segments remain unclear and the new species is very vaguely similar to M. trifurcatus Kiesenwetter, 1852.

Sanaungulus ruicheni (Hsiao Huang, 2018) n. comb. with the differential diagnosis of genera Sanaungulus Fanti, Damgaard Ellenberger, 2018 and Ornatomalthinus Poinar Fanti, 2016.

Recently, Hsiao Huang (2018) presented a taxonomical revision of Ornatomalthinus Poinar Fanti, 2016 based on the discovery of a new species (O. ruicheni) from the Cretaceous Burmese amber of the Hukawng Valley (Myanmar). According to the authors, this species shows many differences in respect to O. elvirae Poinar Fanti, 2016. I propose that due to these morphological divergences the new species cannot belong to the genus Ornatomalthinus (type-species O. elvirae) as indicated by Hsiao Huang (2018). The appearance is in fact identical to Sanaungulus Fanti, Damgaard Ellenberger, 2018 (Poinar Fanti, 2016; Fanti et al., 2018). Additionally, Ornatomalthinus should remain in the subfamily Cantharinae. In this note the common characters of O. ruicheni and the criticalities of attribution to Ornatomalthinus are highlighted, a new combination is proposed and higher classification is discussed.

Three new species of soldier beetles from Baltic amber (Coleoptera, Cantharidae).

Three new species of soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are described from late Eocene Baltic amber from the Kaliningrad Region of Russia on the coast of the Baltic Sea, i.e., Rhagonycha maryae sp. nov., Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum sp. nov. and Malthodes josephi sp. nov. Sucinorhagonycha samsockorum has a few antennomeres that are slightly dentate, making the new species appear intermediate between genus Sucinorhagonycha Kuska, 1996, with filiform antennae, and genus Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892, which has saucer-shaped central antennomeres. This suggests that the relationship between the two genera may be closer than previously believed. Malthodes josephi is noteworthy because it has cuticular vesicles extruding from its abdominal segments that suggest their use for chemical defense. It is the first time that these vesicles have been discovered in Eocene species of soldier beetles. It is also the first time they have been seen in all extinct and extant species of the subfamily Malthininae and its genus Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852.

A new fossil soldier beetle (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Silinae) from Eocene Baltic amber.

A new genus and species of fossil soldier beetle Markus karenae gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Eocene Baltic amber. Its morphological characteristics place it in the taxonomic position of the subfamily Silinae. It is characterized by a particular lateral pronotal shape with two difform processes, pronotum slightly longer than wide, with a blunt and evident angle near the basal angles, anterior and posterior margins flat and with shallow punctation, and lateral margin strongly granulose and in relief. Furthermore, each of its legs has a claw with one acute tooth at the base, except for the posterior legs where the tooth appears to be blunt. The new taxon is morphologically compared with the other fossil representatives of Silinae from Baltic amber, and with extant Palearctic genera.

A checklist of the soldier beetles (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Cantharidae) of Iran.

The present paper is a collection of data and records taken from literature on the Cantharidae of Iran. New original records are also included. These data indicate that 12 genera and 84 species and subspecies of Cantharidae have been recorded from Iran. Fifteen of these species-level records require further data to confirm. Synonymies and distributional information, both general and local, are provided. Two genera: Macrocerus and Themus, and three species: Cordicantharis cordicollis (Küster, 1854), Themus glazunovi glazunovi (Barovskij, 1909) and Macrocerus oculatus Motschulsky, 1845, are reported as new country records for Iran.