ABSTRACT

The earliest fossil member of Bothrideridae, Alveoderes yamamotoi Li & Cai gen. et sp. nov., is reported from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Alveoderes gen. nov. appears to be most similar to extant Deretaphrus in the 3-segmented antennal club and pronotal morphology, but is also distinctive among the whole Bothrideridae in having a large cavity (possible glandular opening) at each anterior pronotal angle. Our discovery of a definitive bothriderid beetle from the late Mesozoic highlights the antiquity of the family. A key to the extant and extinct genera of Deretaphrini is added.

KEY WORDS:
Bothrideridae; Burmese amber; fossil; Mesozoic; taxonomy