Fantosmium, a New Genus of Onthophilinae From Mid‐Cretaceous Kachin Amber (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

2025/09/01 by Yanda Li, Diying Huang, Chenyang Cai · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution #Fossil Insects in Amber #Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography

paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/ece3.71849

openalex publication_date 2025/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/09/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27

Abstract

ABSTRACT We describe and illustrate Fantosmium qizhihaoi gen. et sp. nov., a new histerid beetle from mid‐Cretaceous Kachin amber, and evaluate its phylogenetic position based on morphological characters. Our analysis recovers Fantosmium as part of the extant subfamily Onthophilinae, allied to the Cretaceous genera Cretonthophilus Caterino et al., Phasmister Caterino, and Carinumerus Caterino. It resembles these fossil genera in possessing ventrally open hypomeral antennal cavities and a projecting prosternal lobe. Fantosmium is particularly distinctive in its elytral morphology, exhibiting weakly elevated elytral carinae ornamented with small denticles, an intercarinal surface bearing irregular reticulate sculpture, explanate and irregularly punctate epipleura, and a strongly undulate posterior elytral margin. The discovery of Fantosmium provides new insights into the early evolutionary history and morphological diversity of Onthophilinae.

Citations

• Interactive Tree of Life (iTOL) v6: recent updates to the phylogenetic tree display and annotation tool
• A bonanza of Cretaceous fossils provides insights into the evolution of antennal protection in clown beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae)
• Revised phylogenomic analysis and Cretaceous fossil evidence reveal new insights into evolution of Scirtinae (Coleoptera: Scirtidae)

Discussions

• Li et al. describe Fantosmium, a new and bizarre Cretaceous fossil histerid beetle. It has been placed in the subfamily Onthophilinae, but that subfamily is harder to define by the day. A nice paper n [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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