The first beetle species described from Oligocene New Zealand amber (Coleoptera: Scirtidae)

Abstract

Previously reported beetle inclusions from New Zealand amber have preserved insufficient morphological details for an identification beyond family-level. Here, we describe the first beetle species from New Zealand amber, Contacyphon pomahakaensis Ruta sp. nov., based on a newly discovered, well-preserved inclusion from the late Oligocene Pomahaka Formation in southern New Zealand. C. pomahakaensis Ruta sp. nov. is the first fossil record of marsh beetles (Scirtidae) described from New Zealand. The worldwide genus Contacyphon is well diversified with exclusively endemic species in New Zealand, suggesting a long presence and independent evolution in the region, which is confirmed by the new Oligocene amber fossil. A coastal swamp forest environment reconstructed for the formation of Pomahaka amber is in agreement with wet forest habitats of extant marsh beetles. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of late Oligocene Pomahaka amber indicates that it originates from an Araucariaceae parent plant of Agathis affinity and has undergone comparatively little maturation.