Zygadenia Explained

Zygadenia is an extinct genus of archostematan beetles from the Jurassic to Cretaceous. It is considered to be a senior synonym of Notocupes by Kirejtshuk (2020),^[1] but other researchers suggest to reserve the genus Zygadenia as a form taxon for isolated elytra that probably belong to the genus Notocupes, while retaining Notocupes as a valid genus for complete body fossils.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Eleven species are included in the genus, after Strelnikova and Yan (2021, 2023).^{[2] [3]} Kirejtshuk (2020) notes that the two Lower Jurassic Australian species Z. westraliensis and Z. martinae possibly merit placement in their own separate genus.^[1]

Jurassic species

Toarcian (182.7 Ma to 174.1 Ma)

Cattamarra Coal Measures, Australia

• Z. martinae
• Z. westraliensis

Tithonian (152.1 Ma To 145.0 Ma)

Shar Teeg, Mongolia

• Z. giebeli
• Z. handlirschi

Cretaceous species

Berriasian (145.0 Ma To 139.8 Ma)

Lulworth Formation, United Kingdom

• Z. angliae
• Z. tuberculata

Hauterivian (132.9 Ma to 129.4 Ma)

Weald Clay, United Kingdom

• Z. angliae
• Z. floodpagei
• Z. simpsoni

Barremian (129.4 Ma to 125.0 Ma)

Sinuiju Formation, North Korea

• Z. liui

Weald Clay, United Kingdom

• Z. angliae
• Z. floodpagei
• Z. tuberculata
• Z. simpsoni

Aptian (125.0 to ~113.0 Ma)

Argun Formation, Russia

• Z. sinitzae

Sinuiju Formation, North Korea

• Z. liui

Yixian Formation, China

• Z. liui

Zaza Formation, Buryatia, Russia

• Z. alexrasnitsyni

Notes and References

1. Kirejtshuk . Alexander G. . 2020 . Taxonomic Review of Fossil Coleopterous Families (Insecta, Coleoptera). Suborder Archostemata: Superfamilies Coleopseoidea and Cupedoidea . Geosciences . 10 . 2 . 73 . 10.3390/geosciences10020073 . 2020Geosc..10...73K . 2076-3263 . free.
2. Strelnikova. O.D.. Yan. E.V.. 2021. Redescriptions of beetles of the Notocupes generic complex (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Buryatia. Palaeoentomology. 4. 5. 499–514. 10.11646/palaeoentomology.4.5.15. 240527664 .
3. Strelnikova. O.D.. Yan. E.V.. 2023. Redescriptions of the Triassic Notocupes beetles (Archostemata: Ommatidae) from Kyrgyzstan and South Kazakhstan. Palaeoentomology. 6. 2. 174–190. 10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.2.9. 258403180 .
4. Soo Bin Lee. Gi Soo Nam. Yan-Da Li. A new species of Notocupes (Coleoptera: Archostemata) from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Jinju Formation in South Korea. Cretaceous Research. 140. 2022. 105357. 10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105357. 2022CrRes.14005357L . 252147645 .