Notes on the Morphology and Systematic Position of Archaeolus Lin, 1986, from the Jurassic of South China (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Elateroidea is one of the large superfamilies in the beetle suborder Polyphaga. Many adpression-type elateroid fossils were insufficiently described, which hinders the interpretation of their systematic position. Here, we figure and re-describe an elateroid fossil, Archaeolus funestus, from the Jurassic of South China. Our observations support that Archaeolus might be a member of the Throscidae family. ABSTRACT: The morphology of the Jurassic fossil Archaeolus funestus Lin, 1986, which was previously placed in the extinct click-beetle subfamily Protagrypninae (Coleoptera: Elateridae), is revised based on a re-examination of the type specimen. The validity of Protagrypninae is discussed and further questioned, partly based on the newly observed characters in A. funestus, including the surface sculpture of the mesoventrite. A possible Throscidae affinity of monotypic Archaeolus Lin, 1986, as suggested in a recent study, is further critically reviewed.