East Africa Copal (BMNH coll) (Holocene of Tanzania)

Where: Tanzania (6.9° S, 39.3° E: paleocoordinates 6.9° S, 39.3° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Holocene (0.0 - 0.0 Ma)

Environment/lithology: terrestrial; amber

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: amber

Reposited in the BMNH

Primary reference: F. Smith. 1868. Explanation of the plate of organic remains found in amber, in Amber; its origin and history, as illustrated by the geology of Samland. Quarterly Journal of Science 5:183-184 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 123991: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 05.02.2012, edited by Jered Karr

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Material illustrated by Smith (1868) was assumed to be from Baltic amber but is actually copal from east Africa (Grimaldi et al., 1994; O'Hara et al., 2013). Shelford's (1911) cockroaches from "Stettin" are also from east African copal.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Arachnida
 Araneae - Salticidae
"Attidae indet." = Salticidae
"Attidae indet." = Salticidae Blackwall 1841 spider
Insecta
 Hemiptera - Derbidae
Zoraida (Zoraida) angolensis8
Zoraida (Zoraida) angolensis8 Synave 1973 planthopper
BMNH In. 24743
 Hemiptera - Ricaniidae
Ricaniidae indet.8, Acroprivesa msandarusi n. sp.8, Pocharica sp.8, Pochazoides "sp. 1"8, Pochazoides "sp. 2"8, Pochazoides szwedoi n. sp.7, Osaka "sp. 1"8
Ricaniidae indet.8 Amyot and Audinet-Serville 1843 planthopper
BMNH In. 38928
Acroprivesa msandarusi n. sp.8 Stroinski and Szwedo 2002 planthopper
Pocharica sp.8 Signoret 1860 planthopper
BMNH In. 17674
Pochazoides "sp. 1"8 Signoret 1860 planthopper
BMNH 58572
Pochazoides "sp. 2"8 Signoret 1860 planthopper
BMNH In. 38981 (x2)
Pochazoides szwedoi n. sp.7 Stroinski 2007 planthopper
BMNH In. 17676
Osaka "sp. 1"8 Distant 1917 planthopper
BMNH In. 17677, 18208
 Hemiptera - Issidae
Issidae indet.8
Issidae indet.8 Spinola 1839 planthopper
BMNH In. 18256
 Hemiptera - Cicadellidae
"Cicada forsythii n. sp." = Cicada forsythi2
"Cicada forsythii n. sp." = Cicada forsythi2 Buckton 1891 leafhopper
 Orthoptera - Trigonidiidae
Rhicnogryllus zeuneri n. sp.3, Amusurgus africanus n. sp.3
Rhicnogryllus zeuneri n. sp.3 Chopard 1936 grasshopper
BMNH I. 13768
Amusurgus africanus n. sp.3 Chopard 1936 grasshopper
BMNH 58584, In. 17680
 Orthoptera - Lentulidae
Mecostibus sp.13
Mecostibus sp.13 Karsch 1896 grasshopper
BMNH In 25789 (coll. J.R. Morton); first stage male larva
 Blattodea - Corydiidae
Euthyrrhapha pacifica5
Euthyrrhapha pacifica5 Coquebert 1804 cockroach
BMNH 58535
 Blattodea - Blattidae
? Periplaneta sp.5, Periplaneta sp.5
? Periplaneta sp.5 Burmeister 1838 cockroach
BMNH 58652
Periplaneta sp.5 Burmeister 1838 cockroach
BMNH I.13760, 13767
 Blattodea - Anaplectidae
Anaplecta sp.5
Anaplecta sp.5 Burmeister 1838 cockroach
BMNH I.13761, 13769
 Blattodea - Blattellidae
"Phyllodromia sp." = Blattella5, Phyllodromia woodwardi n. sp.5, Phyllodromia praecursor n. sp.5, Ischnoptera provisionalis n. sp.5
"Phyllodromia sp." = Blattella5 Caudell 1903 cockroach
BMNH I.13759
Phyllodromia woodwardi n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH 58577, I.13770
Phyllodromia praecursor n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH 58505
Ischnoptera provisionalis n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH I.13764, 13766
 Blattodea - Pseudophyllodromiidae
Plectoptera antiqua n. sp.5, Pseudophyllodromia succinica n. sp.5, Ceratinoptera miocenica n. sp.5
Plectoptera antiqua n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH I.13758
Pseudophyllodromia succinica n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH 58616
Ceratinoptera miocenica n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 cockroach
BMNH 58557
 Blattodea - Termitidae
cf. Termes sp.
cf. Termes sp. Linnaeus 1758 termite
fig 9, "a species of Termes"
 Hymenoptera - Formicidae
Formicidae "indet. 1", Formicidae "indet. 2"
Formicidae "indet. 1" Latreille 1802 ant
fig 3, "either Anomma rubella or a closely allied species"
Formicidae "indet. 2" Latreille 1802 ant
fig 4, "belonging to the South American and African genus Polyrhachis"
 Hymenoptera - Apidae
"Trigona (Hypotrigona) gribodoi" = Hypotrigona gribodoi14, Axestotrigona (Axestotrigona) togoensis6, Apis (Apis) mellifera14
"Trigona (Hypotrigona) gribodoi" = Hypotrigona gribodoi14 Magretti 1884 stingless bee
BMNH In.38982-38993, In.17686, In.18209, In.18214, In.18220, In.18226, 58511, 58622
Axestotrigona (Axestotrigona) togoensis6 Stadelmann 1895 stingless bee
BMNH In.17664
Apis (Apis) mellifera14 Linnaeus 1758 western honey bee
BMNH In.58516, 58576
 Lepidoptera - Pieridae
Belenois crawshayi12
Belenois crawshayi12 Butler 1894 Crawshay's caper white
BMNH I.3004 (purchased of Miss Harford, April 1895)
 Coleoptera - Chrysomelidae
"Eumolpidae indet." = Eumolpinae
"Eumolpidae indet." = Eumolpinae Hope 1840 leaf beetle
fig 8, "probably belonging to the genus Calasposoma"
 Coleoptera - Curculionidae
"Xyleborus xanthopus" = Euwallacea xanthopus4, "Xyleborus testaceus" = Xyleborus perforans4, Xyleborus alluaudi4, Xyleborus resinosus n. sp.4, "Xyleborus ferrugineus" = Xyleborus ferrugineus4, "Xyleborus confusus" = Xyleborus ferrugineus4, "Xyleborus amanicus" = Cyclorhipidion amanicum4, "Xyleborus pseudocrucifer n. sp." = Cyclorhipidion pseudocrucifer4, "Crossotarsus tenuis" = Doliopygus tenuis4, "Crossotarsus crinitus" = Doliopygus crinitus4, "Platypus solutus" = Euplatypus solutus4
"Xyleborus xanthopus" = Euwallacea xanthopus4 Eichhoff 1868 bark beetle
BMNH In. 37137
"Xyleborus testaceus" = Xyleborus perforans4 Wollaston 1857 bark beetle
BMNH In. 37137
Xyleborus alluaudi4 Schaufuss 1897 bark beetle
BMNH 58564, 58597, 58642, 58646, In. 37137
Xyleborus resinosus n. sp.4 Schedl 1939 bark beetle
BMNH In. 18252 (x18), 58627 (x13), In. 18203 (x2), In. 18204
"Xyleborus ferrugineus" = Xyleborus ferrugineus4 Fabricius 1801 bark beetle
BMNH In. 37137
"Xyleborus confusus" = Xyleborus ferrugineus4 Fabricius 1801 bark beetle
BMNH In. 37137
"Xyleborus amanicus" = Cyclorhipidion amanicum4 Hagedorn 1910 bark beetle
BMNH In. 37137
"Xyleborus pseudocrucifer n. sp." = Cyclorhipidion pseudocrucifer4 Schedl 1939 bark beetle
BMNH 58647
"Crossotarsus tenuis" = Doliopygus tenuis4 Strohmayer 1912 ambrosia beetle
BMNH In. 37137, In. 18205
"Crossotarsus crinitus" = Doliopygus crinitus4 Chapuis 1865 ambrosia beetle
BMNH 58644
"Platypus solutus" = Euplatypus solutus4 Schedl 1933 ambrosia beetle
BMNH In. 37137
 Coleoptera - Tenebrionidae
Sora (Sora) zanzibarensis n. sp.1, "Cistelidae indet." = Cteniopodini
Sora (Sora) zanzibarensis n. sp.1 Abdullah 1964 darkling beetle
BMNH I. 5281
"Cistelidae indet." = Cteniopodini Solier 1835 comb-clawed beetle
fig 7, "allied to the genus Statira"
 Coleoptera - Elateridae
cf. Cardiophorus sp.
cf. Cardiophorus sp. Eschscholtz 1829 click beetle
fig 6
 Diptera - Psychodidae
"Phlebotomus succini n. sp." = Sergentomyia succini9
"Phlebotomus succini n. sp." = Sergentomyia succini9 Stuckenberg 1975 sand fly
BMNH 58558
 Diptera - Empididae
Phyllodromia inclusa n. sp.5
Phyllodromia inclusa n. sp.5 Shelford 1911 dagger fly
BMNH I.13765
 Diptera - Sarcophagidae
"Electrotachina smithii n. gen. n. sp." = Dolichotachina smithii11
"Electrotachina smithii n. gen. n. sp." = Dolichotachina smithii11 Townsend 1938 satellite fly
BMNH 58551 (fig 5 "new genus allied to Tachinus")
 Diptera - Muscidae
"Paleotachina smithii n. gen. n. sp." = Aethiopomyia gigas10
"Paleotachina smithii n. gen. n. sp." = Aethiopomyia gigas10 Stein 1906 house fly
BMNH 58513 (fig 2 in Smith, 1868)
 Diptera - Tabanidae
Haematopota pinicola n. sp.9
Haematopota pinicola n. sp.9 Stuckenberg 1975 horse fly
BMNH 58558
 Diptera - Rhagionidae
"cf. Leptis sp." = Rhagio
"cf. Leptis sp." = Rhagio Fabricius 1775 snipe fly
fig 1
1Abdullah 1964; 2Buckton 1891; 3Chopard 1936; 4Schedl 1939; 5Shelford 1911; 6Solórzano-Kraemer et al. 2022; 7Stroinski 2007; 8Stroinski and Szwedo 2002; 9Stuckenberg 1975; 10Townsend 1921; 11Townsend 1938; 12Zeuner 1942; 13Zeuner 1943; 14Zeuner and Manning 1976