First record of the family Belidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) in amber. New genus and species from the uppermost Albian amber of France

Abstract

Until now, fossil weevils of the family Belidae were unknown from fossil resin deposits. In this article, Gratshevbelus erici n. gen., n. sp. is described a from the Lower Cretaceous (uppermost Albian) amber deposits of southwestern France. Recent members of this family are present only in the southern hemisphere, therefore this new finding in northern deposits helps to better understand the first stages of the radiation of this group during the Late Mesozoic.