A new genus of Praemordellinae from the Middle Jurassic of China

Abstract

AbstractJuramordella asperula gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) is described based on a specimen from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota, Nincheng County, Inner Mongolia of China. Juramordella asperula is distinguished from other Praemordellinae mainly for roughly punctate elytra, absence of subapical or lateral ridges on all tibiae and tarsi, simple, not bilobed protarsi and mesocoxa distant from procoxa, epicoxa not anterior to metacoxa, well‐developed metafemur and absence of elongated pygidium. The morphology of Juramordella asperula demonstrates the early mordellid‐like beetles have adopted the body shape with their way of movement since the Middle Jurassic, long before their flower‐visiting behavior was established.