A large artematopodid beetle (Coleoptera Elateroidea: Artematopodidae) from the Early Cretaceous of China and its systematic position

Artematopodidae is small basal group of elateroid beetles. Definitive Mesozoic artematopodids are currently confined to the Middle Jurassic Daohugou biota. Here we report a new genus and species, Cretobrevipogon breviantennatus gen.et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (ca. 125 Ma) in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Cretobrevipogon exhibit many diagnostic features of the extant family Artematopodidae, such as paired carinae on prosternum and more importantly, an apical interlocking tongue on the ventral side of elytron. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Cretobrevipogon is closely related to the Middle Jurassic Sinobrevipogon. They share a presumably plesiomorphic character, i.e. mesocoxal cavitiy closed by mesepimeron and anterolateral edge of metanepisternum. The discovery of a new genus from the Early Cretaceous highlights the morphological disparity and palaeodiversity of the family in the Mesozoic. Artematopodidae probably represent a relictual elateroid family that once diversified in the middle–late Mesozoic.