Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshitomi lady beetle (Yassibum yoshitomii) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

NEWS - Coccinelloid beetles have a rare fossil record from the Mesozoic, but researchers describe and illustrate an unusual fossil, Yassibum yoshitomii, from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. The new genus and species stand out within the Coccinelloidea because of the notched prophemorea and the presence of antennal grooves on the elytral epipleura.

Yassibum is characterized by an oval body, 10-segmented antennae, with a 3-segmented club. Labrum with a strongly emarginate apex. Pronotal disc with a narrow and deep basolateral sulcus. Procoxa prominent.

Elytral epipleura broad at base, basally with antennal grooves extending posterolaterally. Mesocoxa cavity broadly closed laterally. Mesoventrite and metaventrite without opening near anterior margin. Metanepisterna hidden. Profemora with prominent incisions on outer side. Tarsi simple, 4-4-4.

The species name is gender-neutral. The species is named after coleopterist Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshitomi. The main characteristics are an oval body, slightly convex dorsal side, about 1.3 mm long, 0.9 mm wide and a slightly silty surface.

Original research

Li Y, Tomaszewska W, Arriaga-Varela E, Huang D, Cai C. 2024. An unusual Cretaceous beetle with affinity to Anamorphidae (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea). PeerJ 12:e18008, DOI:10.7717/peerj.18008

Dlium theDlium

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Broad sword fern (Nephrolepis biserrata)

Broad sword fern ( Nephrolepis biserrata ) is a species of fern in the Nephrolepidaceae, epiphytic and terrestrial, with grayish-brown stems, brown hairs, and 10–130 cm long. The leaf blades are green, 7 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, and hairy brown on the underside. The sori are attached to the underside of the leaf blade, with about 60 sori along the edge and are brown in color. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Class: Polypodiopsida Subclass: Polypodiidae Order: Polypodiales Suborder: Polypodiineae Family: Nephrolepidaceae Genus: Nephrolepis Schott in Gen. Fil. (Vindob.): t. 3 (1834) Species: Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott in Gen. Fil. (Vindob.): t. 3 (1834) Homotypic Synonyms Aspidium biserratum Sw. in J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 32 (1801) Hypopeltis biserrata (Sw.) Bory in C.P.Bélanger, Voy. Indes Or., Bot. 2(1): 65 (1833) Lepidoneuron biserratum (Sw.) Fée in Mém. Foug., 5. Gen. Filic.: 301 (1852) Nephrodium biserratum (Sw.) C.Presl in Reliq. Haenk. 1: 31 (1825) Nephrolepis bise...

Java olive (Sterculia foetida)

Kepuh or Java olive ( Sterculia foetida ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae, tree with large habit, cylindrical trunk, growing up to 40 meters high, wide crown, many branches, tall buttress roots, grayish bark. S. foetida has compound leaves, fingers, stalks 12.5-23 cm long and gathered at the ends of the twigs. The strands have 7-9 lobes, are oval in shape with a pointed tip and base and are green. The flowers are compound in panicles near the tip of the twig, 10-15 cm long and green or purple in color. The fruit is a large capsule, oval, fat, 7.6-9 cm long, 5 cm wide, woody, thick, bright red and brown, gathered in a star-shaped arrangement. Each fruit contains 10-15 seeds, blackish in color, attached with yellow arils and 1.5-1.8 cm long. The sapwood is white, while the heartwood is striped, yellow and has a fine texture. Wood is used as a light construction material in houses including curtains, ceiling frames, risplang and cast boards. Wood is also used to make boats, coff...

Dlium