A New Subgenus of the Genus Phenolia (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae) from Myanmar Cretaceous Amber with Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Bionomic Notes on the ‘Nitidulid’ Group of Families †

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Studies of many fossil insects, in contrast to those from the Recent fauna, have considerable complications, as many structural features are missing or not clearly observable. Not infrequently, researchers are met with unusual insects, which are very different to those known from the present surrounding biota. Sometimes, in order to obtain reasoned arguments, they need to study many fossil specimens, in which unfamiliar structural features could be visible in different specimens with various degrees of preservation. A new supraspecific taxon for a new species from one of the very archaic nitidulid groups that putatively originated during the Cretaceous (Albian/Cenomanian Burmese amber, North Myanmar) is described in the present paper. For this reason, it was required to re-estimate some new data on fossil discoveries of the families, which can be regarded as closely related: Apophisandridae stat. nov., Kateretidae, Nitidulidae, Parandrexidae, Smicripidae and possibly Boganiidae. The new analysis makes it possible not only to describe Phenolia (Palaeoronia) haoranae subgen. et sp. nov., but also to propose one new generic taxon (Antirhelus gen. nov. for Heterhelus buzina) and two subfamily taxa (Antirhelinae subfam. nov. and Cretoparacucujinae subfam. nov.); in addition, new characteristics have been found in the external structures and genitalia of both sexes, which can be interpreted as more or less reliable evidence of the close relationship between the abovementioned families. The important characteristics of these families are found in their tendency to form and develop their interactions with generative organs of the higher plants, i.e. formation of feeding on them from the initial fungal diet. All these families reveal pollinophagous (anthophagous) lifestyles in part of their adult members, or they completely consist of pollinophagous (anthophagous) adults. Further, larvae of some of these members could be becoming anthophagous or carpophagous, and the last stage of these trophic changes seem to present the formation of a trophic imaginal and larval regime with the use of plant vegetative organs. ABSTRACT: A new subgenus, Palaeoronia subgen. nov., is described from the Cretaceous amber of North Myanmar (Kachin State) and assigned to the genus Phenolia. The type species of the new subgenus, Phenolia (Palaeoronia) haoranae subgen. et sp. nov., is characterized by a rather ‘archaic’ aspect. A discussion of the diagnostic and structure of the Soronia-complex of genera (together with the Phenolia-complex of genera) (Nitidulinae, Nitidulini) is proposed. Reasons for the ‘conservatism’ of this group during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic are discussed. The position of the Apophisandridae stat. nov. (type genus Apophisandra) and the transfers of the following genera into this family: Cretaretes, Electrumeretes, Furcalabratum, Pelretes, Polliniretes, Protokateretes, Protonitidula, and Scaporetes, from the Kateretidae, Nitidulidae or Cerambycidae are grounded. The relations of the family Parandrexidae (with inclusion of the genus Cretoparacucujus, transferred from Boganiidae with a proposal of the subfamily Cretoparacucujinae subfam.nov.), Martynoposis and Parandrexis are considered. The genus Antirhelus gen. nov. (type species Heterhelus buzina) is assigned to the new subfamily, Antirhelinae subfam. nov. in the family Kateretidae. The fossil records of the ‘nitidulid’ group of families (Apophisandridae stat. nov., Kateretidae, Nitidulidae, Parandrexidae, Smicripidae and possibly Boganiidae) are reviewed. The relationship of the family Boganiidae, some aspects of pollination and pollinophagy, and also changes in beetle diet in the past are discussed. The lectotype of Parandrixis parvula is designated.