Elodophthalmus maksoudae Cai, Zhao & Azar, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cai, Chenyang
name: Zhao, Qian
name: Azar, Dany
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elodophthalmidae
Elodophthalmus
Elodophthalmus maksoudae

description: Elodophthalmus maksoudae sp. nov.
(Figs 1–3)
Material. Holotype, 1821, D. Azar collection, Hammana/Mdeyrij outcrop, Caza Baabda, Mouhafazet Jabal Loubnan (Central Lebanon).
Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to Professor Sibelle Maksoud, who has made great contribution of the study of Lebanese amber and palaeontology in Lebanon in general.
Diagnosis. Elodophthalmus maksoudae sp. nov. differs from the other two Elodophthalmus species (E. gracilis Kirejtshuk & Azar and E. harmonicus) primarily by the minimum dorsal distance between the compound eyes and the antennal morphology. The compound eyes of E. maksoudae are more closely spaced, (Ocular Index [OI] = 17, widely spaced in E. harmonicus (OI = 41); Campbell & Marshall 1964). More importantly, the antennae of E. maksoudae are much longer than those of the other species. The antennomeres 3–5 are strongly reduced and transverse (antennomeres 3–6 of E. gracilis are reduced, but not transverse, whereas antennomeres 3–5 of E. harmonicus are reduced, but not transverse). The antennomeres 6–11 of E. maksoudae are elongate (less elongate and triangular in E. harmonicus).
Locality and horizon. Hammana/Mdeyrij, Caza Baabda, Mouhafazet Jabal Loubnan (Central Lebanon); Lower Cretaceous (lower Barremian).
Description. Body ca. 1.14 mm long, moderately convex. Upper surfaces clothed with fine, suberect hairs (Fig. 1).
Head 0.40 mm wide, strongly declined (Fig. 2A); abruptly constricted posteriorly to form narrow neck. Transverse occipital ridge developed. Eyes (Fig. 2B) strongly protuberant and coarsely facetted, slightly emarginate, with interfacetal setae; close to each other, with OI = 17. Antennal insertions (Fig. 2C) exposed from above, located at inner edges of eyes. Subantennal grooves absent. Frontoclypeal suture absent. Labrum (Fig. 2B) free, strongly transverse, rounded apically. Antennae (Fig. 2C) ca. 0.92 mm long, 11-segmented, densely setose, markedly elongate; antennomere 1 subquadrate; antennomere 2 slightly longer than antennomere 1; antennomeres 3–5 strongly reduced in length, slightly narrower than antennomere 2; antennomeres 4 and 5 strongly transverse; antennomeres 6–11 slender, antennomeres 6 as long as antennomeres 1–5 combined, gradually widened apically; antennomere 7 slightly shorter than antennomere 6; antennomeres 8–10 each similar to shape and size of antennomere 7; antennomere 11 slightly longer than antennomere 10. Mandible curved. Maxillary lobes short, apically pubescent; apical maxillary palpomeres slightly expanded and truncate.
Pronotum transverse, 0.52 mm wide; sides slightly curved; base slightly narrower than elytral bases; anterior angles not produced; posterior angles broadly rounded; posterior edge simple; disc without impressions. Scutellar shield not abruptly elevated anteriorly; posteriorly rounded. Elytron 0.89 mm long along suture, ca. 3.8 times as long as its width; without scutellary striole; epipleura incomplete. Metaventrite moderately convex; discrimen absent; postcoxal lines absent. Metacoxae contiguous, extending laterally to meet elytra; metacoxal plates present, small. Hind wing well developed. Trochanterofemoral joint slightly oblique with base of femur separate from coxa. Mesotibia not strongly widened; outer edge simple; outer apical angle simple. Tibial spurs developed, simple. Tarsi (Fig. 2D) 5-5-4, simple; pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–4 successively shortened; pro- and mesotarsomeres 5 elongate; metatarsomeres 1 longer than other metatarsomeres. Pretarsal claws simple.
Abdomen (Fig. 2A) with five free ventrites, first two of which not connate; ventrite 1 not much longer than 2; suture between ventrites 1 and 2 distinct; ventrite 3 slightly shorter than ventrite 2.
description: Published as part of Cai, Chenyang, Zhao, Qian & Azar, Dany, 2024, A new species of Elodophthalmus from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber unravels the systematic placement of Elodophthalmidae and reconciling phylogenetic conflicts within Tenebrionoidea, pp. 65-75 in Zootaxa 5562 (1) on pages 67-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5562.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/14595649