Eur. J. Entomol. 109: 281–288, 2012 http://www.eje.cz/scripts/viewabstract.php?abstract=1706 ISSN 1210-5759 (print), 1802-8829 (online) The earliest fossil flower bugs (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha: Cimicoidea: Vetanthocoridae) from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China WENJING HOU1, YUNZHI YAO1, 2*, WEITING ZHANG1 and DONG REN1 1Key Lab of Insect Evolution and Environmental Changes, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China; e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS, Nanjing 210008, China Key words. Heteroptera, Vetanthocoridae, fossil, Middle Jurassic, Inner Mongolia Abstract. One new genus with two new fossil species, Pumilanthocoris gracilis gen. n. sp. n. and P. obesus gen. n. sp. n., which were found in the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, are described and illustrated. These are the ear- liest fossil records of Vetanthocoridae. INTRODUCTION section at Daohugou Village is composed of grey tuffa- The Anthocoridae (sensu lato) are sometime referred to ceous sandstone and sandy mudstone (Ren et al., 2002). as flower bugs or minute pirate bugs and are widespread The climate at the time of its deposition was humid and in all zoogeographical regions (Zheng, 1999). Most mem- warm-temperate (Tan & Ren, 2002). Well-preserved bers of this family are predators of other insects (e.g. fossil insects (Yao, 2006b; Liu et al., 2007, 2008; Ren et aphids and thrips) and mites in decaying vegetable matter al., 2010), conchostracans (Zhang & Shen, 1987) and or sometimes under bark. They also feed on vegetable some dinosaurs (Ji & Yuan, 2002) are described from the matter, especially pollen (Popov & Herczek, 2001). Daohugou bed. The geological age of this deposit is con- Flower bugs comprise three modern families: Anthoco- sidered to be the Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic ridae (sensu stricto), Lyctocoridae and Lasiochilidae (Ren et al., 2002; Shen et al., 2003; Chen et al., 2004; Liu (Schuh & Štys, 1991), and one fossil family: Vetanthoco- et al., 2004; Zhou et al., 2007). ridae (Yao et al., 2006a). The extant group includes about Fossil insects of Middle Jurassic from northern China 80 genera and 500 species (Bu & Zheng, 2001); their are mainly distributed north of the Yellow River, from body lengths range from about 1.4 to 4.5 mm. The fossil east of Liaodong to west of Xinjiang. There is an abun- flower bugs consist of 13 genera and 15 species. Five rep- dance of fossil insects in this region. The insects of the resentatives of Anthocoridae are described: Temnostethus region were named Yanliao Entomofaunae by Hong blandus Statz & Wagner, 1950 from the Oligocene of (1983). The Jiulongshan Formation of the Middle Jurassic Germany; Mesanthocoris brunneus Hong & Wang, 1990 in Daohugou Village, Ningcheng County, Inner Mon- from the Lower Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China; golia, Jiulongshan Formation of the Middle Jurassic in Eoanthocoris cretaceus and E. ghidarinus Popov, 1990 Jibei and Haifanggou Formation of the Middle Jurassic in from the Lower Oligocene of Germany; Persephonocoris Liaoxi are different names for the same strata in China. kulickae Popov & Herczek, 2001 from Eocene Baltic Up to now, 18 orders and nearly 300 species of fossil amber. Ten representatives of Vetanthocoridae are insects are reported from these three localities (Liu et al., described: Liaoxia longa Hong, 1987, Vetanthocoris 2010). decorus, V. longispicus, Collivetanthocoris rapax, Bys- MATERIAL AND METHODS soidecerus levigata, Mecopodus xanthos, Curvicaudus All specimens are deposited at the Key Laboratory of Insect ciliatus, Crassicerus furtivus, Curticerus venustus and Evolution and Environmental Change, Capital Normal Univer- Pustulithoracalis gloriosus Yao, Cai & Ren, 2006a, all sity, Beijing, China. The specimens were examined under a from the Yixian Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Chao- Leica MZ12.5 dissecting microscope and illustrated with the aid midian Village, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China. of a drawing tube attached to the microscope. Drawings were In addition, two undescribed specimens of fossil flower scanned into computer using an EPSON5100 and revised with bugs are reported from the Lower Cretaceous of Australia Adobe Photoshop CS3. Taxonomy and morphological termi- (Jell & Duncan, 1986) and the Lower Cretaceous amber nology mainly follow Schuh & Slater (1995). Wing veination of Canada (McAlpine & Martin, 1969). terminology follows Zheng (1999). Our fossil specimens were collected from Daohugou Body length was measured along the midline from the ante- rior margin of the head to the apex of abdomen. Body width was Village, Ningcheng Country, Inner Mongolia, China. The * Corresponding author. 281 Fig. 1. Pumilanthocoris gracilis gen. n. sp. n. Holotype &, CNU-Het-NN2009086. A – dorsal view; B – ventral view. Scale bar = 1 mm. measured at the maximal width of the body. The lengths of the 3-segmented, sub-equal in thickness, third the longest and pronotum and scutellum were measured along the midline. The with symmetrical claws. Hemelytra macropterous, length of the hemelytron was measured from the base to its extending beyond or reaching tip of abdomen, corium apex. The length of the corium was measured from the base of with distinct median fracture, costal fracture (= embolar the hemelytron to the apex of the corium. All measurements are fracture) at middle of anterior margin of forewing, clavus given in millimeters (mm). large, claval commissure longer than scutellum, Pcu and SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY A (1A) just visible on clavus, membrane with several Suborder: Heteroptera Latreille, 1810 indistinct longitudinal veins. Abdominal terga II–VII with dorsal laterotergites, distinctly longer than wide, eighth Infraorder: Cimicomorpha Leston, Pendergrast & abdominal sternum distinctly narrowed; ovipositor long, Southwood, 1954 occupying last two abdominal segments. Superfamily: Cimicoidea Stephen, 1829 Distribution. China. Family: Vetanthocoridae Yao, Cai & Ren, 2006a Etymology. Generic name is a combination of the Latin Tribe: Vetanthocorini Yao, Cai & Ren, 2006a words pumilus (dwarf) and Anthocoris (an extant genus). Genus: Pumilanthocoris gen. n. Remark. Based on the following characters Pumilan- Type species. Pumilanthocoris gracilis sp. n. (Figs 1–3) thocoris can be placed within the Anthocoridae s. l. (after Schuh & Štys, 1991; Schuh & Slater, 1995; Schuh et al., Diagnosis. Body relatively small, sides sub-parallel, 2009): head porrect; eyes large, ocelli present; rostrum dorsal surface smooth, without punctation and setae. 4-segmented, first segment very short, third segment Head porrect, width slightly shorter than or sub-equal to longest; antennae 4-segmented third and fourth segments length; clypeus prominent, slightly longer than man- thinner than second; hemelytra macropterous, corium dibular plate; rostrum tapering, length sub-equal to head with deep costal fracture and median fracture, cuneus pre- and pronotum combined, 4-segmented, extending to mid sent; membrane with more than 10 free longitudinal coxae, first segment shortest, third segment much longer veins, without cross veins or living cell; apophysis absent than first, second and fourth segments combined; internally on abdominal sternum 7 in female; male antennae 4-segmented, third and fourth antennal segments abdominal segment 8 normally developed and exposed. thinner than second segment, first segment shortest and In addition, based on the following characters Pumilan- thickest, second longest, shorter than third and fourth seg- thocoris can be placed within Vetanthocoridae (after Yao ments combined; eyes oval, diameter in dorsal view sub- et al., 2006a): third and fourth antennal segments without equal to interocular space; ocelli situated behind level of setae; costal fracture ending at middle of anterior margin posterior margins of eyes, interocular space wider than of corium, membrane with over 10 longitudinal veins; interocellar space. Pronotum trapezoidal, with collar; scu- abdominal terga II–VII with dorsal laterotergites. The tellum triangular, shorter than pronotum along midline, new genus can be assigned to the tribe Vetanthocorini wider than long. Hind leg longer than mid leg, fore and because of the following combination of features: third hind coxae narrowly separated, mid coxae widely sepa- and fourth antennal segments thinner than second seg- rated, fore and mid femora sub-equal in length to corre- ment, dorsal laterotergites present, ventral laterotergites sponding tibiae, tibiae with dense setae, tarsus fused with sternum. 282 Within the tribe Vetanthocorini, the new genus is closely related to Mecopodus Yao, Cai & Ren, 2006a, but differs from the latter as the third segment of the rostrum is slightly longer than first, second and fourth segments combined (vs. third distinctly longer than first, second and fourth segments combined); fourth segment of ros- trum is longer than the second (vs. fourth segment slightly shorter than second); pronotum has a collar (vs. pronotum without collar). Pumilanthocoris gracilis sp. n. (Figs 1–3) Description. Body narrow and elongated, about 3.1 times as long as wide. Head observably shorter than pro- notum, length slightly longer than width; antennae long, second segment with delicate setae, apical 1/5 black, about 1.5 times as long as third, fourth segment shorter than third. Pronotum about 1.9