Cretohypna cristata sp. n.

The generic name refers to the Cretaceous Period of its origin, and the generic name Anthypna Eschoscholtz, 1818. Gender: feminine.

Largeelongate oval and compact (head, pronotum and mesothorax are very close to each other) scarab beetle (Fig. 1c). Mandibles and labrum exposed beyond apex of clypeus and clearly visible in dorsal view of head, labrum approximately five times as wide as long. Pronotum subquadrate shaped with concave anterior margin and slightly convex lateral and posterior margins. Scutellum triangular. Mesoepimeron clearly visible from above between pronotum and elytron. Elytra convex and thin, without longitudinal carina; hind wings well-developed. Legs short and strong, mesocoxae moderately separated, protibia with three large teeth on outer margin (Fig. 1a), apex of male mesotibia lamellate (Fig. 1b, arrow); mesotibia and metatibia with 2 apical spurs; male metatarsus shorter than corresponding tibia (Fig. 1d). Abdomen with six visible sternites, first sternites not obscured by hind coxae. Pygidium exposed beyond apices of elytra.

Only the type species is known.

The genus is only known from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Liutiaogou Village, Ningcheng County, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, China.

According to the fossil record in the family Glaphyridae, there are three genera described from the Mesozoic Era: Glaphyrus (Nikolajev & Ren, 2011); Cretoglaphyrus (Nikolajev 2005) and Lithohypna (Nikolajev et al. 2011).

The new genus is readily distinguished from all Mesozoic Glaphyridae genera by very long first segment of male metatarsus. The new genus is distinguished from the genus Glaphyrus by lamellate apex of mesotibia and slender metafemur; from the genus Cretoglaphyrus by moderately separated mesocoxae and elytra without longitudinal carina; from the genus Lithohypna by short labrum and triangular scutellum.

The specific name is derived from Latin word ‘crista-’, which means ‘comb’ or ‘crest’, refers to the presence of a transverse carina on the head.

Holotype, a well-preserved male specimen in dorsal view, registration No. CNU-COL-NN2011003. Housed in the Key Lab of Insect Evolution & Environmental Changes, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.

Same as the genus.

Body large, elongate oval and compact (Fig. 1c). Head nearly as wide as long, the widest part of head at its middle part, obviously narrower than pronotum, with transverse carina; mandibles strong, labrum and mandibles prominent, labrum exposed beyond apex of clypeus, labrum approximately five times as wide as long; mandibles exposed beyond apex of clypeus; eyes large and developed; anterior margin of clypeus moderately rounded, the presence of a transverse carina on the head. Pronotum transverse, nearly subquadrate; the widest part of pronotum at its base; anterior margin of pronotum concave; with lateral margins slightly convex, posterior margin slightly protruding. Scutellum small, triangular, about 2.2 times wider than long. Elytra long and narrow, slightly constricted to the basis, with lateral margins slightly convex, without longitudinal carina, with weak striae on lateral part, convexly constricted to the apex in the apical quarter, dehiscent. Hind wing: both hind wings preserved, well-developed, the RP, RA3+4, RA₄+RP₁ veins preserved on the fossil. Abdomen with six visible sternites, the first sternites not obscured by hind coxae, pygidium exposed beyond apices of elytra. Genitalia preserved and curved. Procoxa about 2.3 times wider than long, mesocoxae moderately separated. Meso- and metafemur slender. Protibia with three large teeth on outer margin (Fig. 1a); mesotibia possibly with two transverse carinae on outer margin (Fig. 1b); two spurs at the end of meso- and metatibia; spurs of mesotibia differing distinctly in length; spurs of metatibia subequal in length. Only two mesotarsomeres are preserved in this specimen, relative length of each segment (base to apex) 59: 49; metatarsus with five segments, relative length of each segment (base to apex) 120: 45: 45: 45: 68 (Fig. 1d).

Body length 16.1 mm, greatest body width 8.4 mm, head length 3.0 mm, head width 3.4 mm, pronotum length 3.1 mm, pronotum width 6.0 mm, elytron length 8.7 mm, elytron width 4.2 mm, length of abdominal segments: 1–0.4 mm, 2–0.3 mm, 3–0.5 mm, 4–0.4 mm, 5–1.5 mm, 6 –0.9 mm.