Were Arenga Palms (Arecaceae) Present in the Eocene? A Review of the Genus Succinometrioxena Legalov, 2012.

It has been suggested that palms of the genus Arenga (Arecales: Arecaceae) or forms close to it were distributed in the Eocene of North America and Europe. Records of Metrioxenini (Belidae), which are monophages on these palms, confirm this assumption. A new species, Succinometrioxena andrushchenkoi Legalov, sp. n. from Baltic amber is described. The new species differs from S . poinari Legalov, 2012 in the smaller body sizes, elytral punctation larger than the distances between them, and a rostrum weakly curved in females. It is distinguished from S . bachofeni Legalov, 2013 and S. attenuata Legalov et Poinar, 2020 by the forehead lacking horn-like tubercles on either side of the eyes. A description of male of S . poinari was herein compiled for the first time. A list and key to fossil Metrioxenini were given. The modern and fossil distribution of the tribe Metrioxenini and Arenga palms was shown.