Notocupes is an extinct genus of medium-sized archostematan beetles from the Mesozoic Era of Eurasia, including over 50 described species. Historically, the genus was classified as a member of the family Ommatidae, but the presence of characters such as the horizontal mandibular cutting edge, separated procoxae and overlapping abdominal sternites indicate that the genus may have a closer affinity with the family Cupedidae. Notocupes is considered to be a junior synonym of Zygadenia by Kirejtshuk (2020), 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. Most species of Notocupes were described from compression fossils. An additional three species were described from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber, which were treated as a separate genus, Echinocups, by Kirejtshuk (2020), but Li et al. (2023) consider Echinocups to be a junior synonym of Notocupes. Notocupes has a flattened body, which may suggest that it occupied narrow habitats, such as living under bark. Some species had serrated/spined margins of the carapace, which may have served as a defense against predators, or served as camouflage to resemble bark.
Strelnikova & Yan (2023) advise splitting up the genus Notocupes into four genera: Notocupes, Rhabdocupes, Conexicoxa and the new genus Brachilatus.
Triassic species
Ladinian (242 Ma to ~237 Ma)
Tongchuan Formation, China
Carnian (237 Ma to 227 Ma)
Koldzat Formation, Kazakhstan
Madygen Formation, Kyrgyzstan
- N. laticella
- N. rostratus
- N. tenuis
Jurassic species
Hettangian (201.3 Ma to 199.3 Ma)
Dzhil Formation, Kyrgyzstan
- N. cellulosus
- N. issykkulensis
- N. kirghizicus
- N. latus
- N. sogutensis
Guanyintan Formation, China
Toarcian (182.7 Ma to 174.1 Ma)
Guanyintan Formation, China
Sulyukta Formation, Kyrgyzstan
Bajocian (170.3 Ma to 168.3 Ma)
Bakhar Formation, Mongolia
- N. brachycephalus
- N. exiguus
- N. longicollis
Callovian (166.1 Ma to 163.5 Ma)
Haifanggou Formation, China
- N. daohugouensis
- N. dischides
- N. jurassicus
- N. pingi
- N. robustus
- N. spinosus
Tyumen Formation, Russia
Oxfordian (163.5 Ma to 157.3 Ma)
Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan
- N. foersteri
- N. lapidarius
- N. nigromonticola
- N. picturatus
- N. pulcher
Tithonian (152.1 Ma To 145.0 Ma)
Shar Teeg, Mongolia
- N. brachycephalus
- N. exiguus
Solnhofen, Germany
- N. reticulatus
- N. tripartitus
Cretaceous species
Hauterivian (132.9 Ma to 129.4 Ma)
Dabeigou Formation, China
Barremian (129.4 Ma to 125.0 Ma)
Jianshangou Formation, China
La Huérguina Formation, Las Hoyas, Spain
- N. diazromerali
- N. longicoxa
- N. siniestri
- N. viridis
La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation, Spain
- N. martinclosas
- N. oculatus
Ulan-Argalant Formation, Mongolia
Aptian (125.0 to ~113.0 Ma)
Argun Formation, Russia
Baojiatun Formation, China
Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia
- N. dundulaensis
- N. elegans
Jehol Group, China
Khasurty Formation, Russia
Laiyang Formation, China
- N. laiyangensis
- N. ludongensis
- N. tuanwangensis
Shahai Formation, China
Yixian Formation, China
- N. alienus
- N. cyclodontus
- N. epicharis
- N. eumeurus
- N. minisculus
- N. porrectus
- N. protensus
- N. psilatus
- N. rudis
- N. stabilis
Zaza Formation, Russia
- N. caudatus
- N. excellens
- N. vitimensis
Albian (~113.0 to 100.5 Ma)
Jinju Formation, South Korea
Burmese amber, Myanmar
- N. denticollis (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups)
- N. neli (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups)
- N. ohmkuhnlei (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups)
Turonian (93.9 to 89.8 Ma)
Emanra Formation, Russia
Kzyl-Zhar Locality, Kazakhstan
References