Damzenium Kazantsev et Bocak, 2022

Genus Damzenium Kazantsev et Bocak gen. nov.

Type species: Damzenium rivnense Kazantsev et Bocak sp. nov.

Description. Male. Body compact, dorso-ventrally flattened, elongate ( Figs 1A–F View FIGURE 1 ). Head transverse, slightly exposed from pronotum. Eyes moderately large, spherical. Antenna 11-segmented, relatively short, robust, antennomeres only slightly flattened and feebly dentate; pedicel (antennomere 2) slightly longer than wide, ca 2.5 times shorter than antennomere 3, antennomere 3 subequal in length to antennomere 4 and subsequent antennomeres; pubescence on antennomeres 3–11 short and decumbent ( Figs 1A, F View FIGURE 1 ).

Pronotum transverse, almost straight anteriorly, with complete narrow median and somewhat zig-zagged transverse lateral carinae; posterior angles acute ( Figs 1A–C View FIGURE 1 ). Scutellum triangular, rounded at apex ( Figs 1A–C View FIGURE 1 ). Elytra elongate, flattened, with three distinct costae on the dorsal surface, with double rows of cells in their interstices; humeral elytral costa (costa 3) stout in all its length, costa 1 weakened in distal fourth; last elytral interstice (lateriad of humeral costa) wide, ca. 2 times wider than interstices 1–3, with three to four unclear rows of elytral cells, i.e., longitudinal costa 4 is weak and partly indistinct; elytral pubescence relatively short and decumbent ( Figs 1A–F View FIGURE 1 ). Metathoracic wings presumably fully developed.

Legs relatively short and robust; femurs and tibiae straight, subequal in length, slightly widening distally; tarsomeres 2–4 slightly widened; claws simple ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Abdomen with semicircularly incised penultimate ventrite.

Diagnosis. Damzenium gen. nov. may be distinguished from Protolopheros and Pseudaplatopterus , from Baltic amber, by the stout elytral costa 3 (counting from the suture), which is robust in its entire length compared to only basally stout costa 4 in Protolopheros and Pseudaplatopterus ( Fig. 2K View FIGURE 2 ), and by Damzenium ’s regular elytral reticulation with even rows of round cells in interstices, which differs from the irregular elytral reticulation in Protolopheros ( Figs 1A, 1E View FIGURE 1 , 2K View FIGURE 2 ). The new genus also differs from all the extant genera of Erotini , which are characterized by the equally developed elytral costae. Damzenium gen. nov. has a different arrangement of elytral costae, including the much stouter humeral costa ( Figs 1A, 1E View FIGURE 1 ). Such a robust primary costa 3 has not been known in Erotini , and therefore, this species cannot be attributed to any extant genus and deserves to be described as a new genus.

Etymology. The new genus is named in honour of Mr. J. Damzen ( Vilnius, Lithuania), who generously gave us the opportunity to study this remarkable amber specimen. Gender neuter.