Vetuprostomis Engel & Grimaldi 2008
Creators: name: Li, Yan-Da
name: Hsiao, Yun
name: Huang, Di-Ying
name: Cai, Chen-Yang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Prostomidae
Vetuprostomis

description: Genus Vetuprostomis Engel & Grimaldi, 2008
Remarks. Although Engel & Grimaldi (2008) mentioned that Prostomidae consist of two extant genera, Prostomis and Dryocora, it seems that they did not compare their fossil with members of Dryocora at all. Their differential diagnosis was proposed based on comparison with Prostomis solely. Engel & Grimaldi (2008) claimed that Vetuprostomis differs from modern prostomids in the shorter jugular processes, and the wider (about as wide as head) and the anteriorly constricted pronotum. However, extant Dryocora also has short jugular processes and anteriorly constricted pronotum. The pronotum can even be wider than head at least in some of Dryocora species. Indeed, Vetuprostomis is more similar to Dryocora than Prostomis. In addition to the characters mentioned above, Vetuprostomis and Dryocora share the shorter and more simple mandibles and the posterolaterally projected temples compared to the nominal genus.
Extant prostomids have mandibles with three apical teeth. In Engel & Grimaldi (2008), Vetuprostomis was described as having apically bidentate mandibles. This difference is merely due to a different terminology. The first apicomarginal tooth sensu Engel & Grimaldi (2008) is identical to the dorsal apical tooth in extant prostomids. In the present paper we follow the terminology used for the extant Prostomidae (e.g., Lawrence & Ślipiński 2013).
Key to species of Vetuprostomis
1. Lateral sides of clypeus anteriorly converging (fig. 2A in Engel & Grimaldi 2008). Penultimate maxillary palpomere wider than long, shorter than half length of apical one (?) (fig. 2C in Engel & Grimaldi 2008). Jugal processes symmetrical, without lateral teeth or knobs (fig. 2C in Engel & Grimaldi 2008). Median groove of pronotum well developed, (almost) as long as pronotal length (fig. 1 in Engel & Grimaldi 2008).......................................... V. consimilis Engel & Grimaldi
- Lateral sides of clypeus subparallel (or weakly diverging) in anterior portion (Figs 4D, 7H). Penultimate maxillary palpomere longer than wide, distinctly longer than half length of apical one (Figs 4A,D, 7A,H). Jugal processes asymmetrical; right process longer; inner sides with a tooth (Figs 4A, 7A). Median groove of pronotum absent or weakly developed, shorter than half length of pronotum (Fig. 4E)............................................................................ 2
2. Jugal processes longer (e.g., right process: portion above tooth more than twice as long as portion below tooth) (Fig. 4A). Teeth on incisor edge of left mandible moderately separated (Figs 3A, 4D). Anterior angles of pronotum pointed (Figs 2, 4E)................................................................................ V. angularis Li & Cai sp. nov.
- Jugal processes shorter (e.g., right process: portion above tooth less than twice as long as portion below tooth) (Fig. 7A). Teeth on incisor edge of left mandible more narrowly separated and strongly jointed basally; interspace only very weakly notched (Fig. 7H). Anterior angles of pronotum not pointed (Fig. 5)................................. V. gaoi Li & Cai sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Li, Yan-Da, Hsiao, Yun, Huang, Di-Ying & Cai, Chen-Yang, 2022, New species of Vetuprostomis from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Prostomidae), pp. 563-574 in Zootaxa 5125 (5) on pages 565-566, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5125.5.6, http://zenodo.org/record/6457396