Cretoloricera electra gen. et sp. nov., the oldest record of Loricerini (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Carabidae: Loricerinae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

A new genus and species of Carabidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga), Cretoloricera electra gen. et sp. nov., is described based on a well-preserved specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. C. electra gen. et sp. nov. can be assigned to Loricerini (the only tribe of Loricerinae) by its robust and strongly protracted maxilla with a highly modified galea; strongly serrate retinaculum; plurisetose ligula; nasale with prominent teeth, lack of lacinia, penicillus, cervical and ocular grooves. It differs from all species of Loricera Latreille, 1802 by its unique combination of characteristics: terminal galeomere bearing an extremely elongate process, thin 'glass'-like exudation covering the 2nd galeomere, strongly elongate tarsi with an unusual chaetotaxy, seta UR9 obviously shorter than setae UR7 and UR8. C. electra gen. et sp. nov. is the oldest known larva of Loricerinae to date but already exhibits morphological adaptions to springtail predation. We briefly discuss the lifestyle of Cretoloricera based on its morphological charac-teristics. The similarities and differences between C. electra gen. et sp. nov. and the other two groups of carabid collembolan specialists are also discussed. (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.