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Copelatus diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) from early Miocene Mexican amber, with description of a new species displaying distinct sexual dimorphism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2025

Jiří Hájek Open the ORCID record for Jiří Hájek [Opens in a new window] ,
Ana Zippel ,
Patrick Müller ,
Maximilian G. Pankowski ,
Lars Hendrich  and
Michael Balke
Jiří Hájek*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, CZ-193 00 Praha 9 – Horní Počernice, Czech Republic
Ana Zippel
Affiliation:
Zoomorphology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, DE-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
Patrick Müller
Affiliation:
Amber Study Group, c/o Geological-Palaeontological Museum of the University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Maximilian G. Pankowski
Affiliation:
16405 Fox Valley Terrace, Rockville, Maryland 20853, USA
Lars Hendrich
Affiliation:
SNSB-Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstraße 21, D-81247 Munich, Germany
Michael Balke
Affiliation:
SNSB-Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstraße 21, D-81247 Munich, Germany and GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
*
*Corresponding author
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Abstract

Two diving beetle species (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) from the extant genus Copelatus Erichson are documented from early Miocene Mexican amber. Copelatus chiapas new species is described based on a series of specimens of both sexes. Copelatus chiapas n. sp. is the third species of the subfamily Copelatinae described from amber and the first fossil diving beetle for which distinct sexual dimorphism is documented. The other species remains identified to genus level only, due to poor structural visibility. Key morphological characters of the species are illustrated.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/0127be7a-bcb5-41da-9363-283d5cd49738

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Articles
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Journal of Paleontology , First View , pp. 1 - 8
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Paleontological Society

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