The new genus belongs to the family Ithyceridae based on the homonomous ventrites, widened metatarsomere 1, short precoxal portion of the prosternum, not geniculate antennae inserted at the first third of the rostrum, rostrum without distinct antennal scrobes. The apices of the tibiae are scarcely visible, although the metatibiae do not show a trace of uncus. The new genus is externally somewhat similar to the genus Anthonomus Germar, 1817 (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Anthonomini C.G. Thomson, 1859), which is characterized by the abdominal ventrites subequal in length; but it differs from the latter in the thickened rostrum without antennal scrobes, antennae inserted at the first third of the rostrum, widened metatarsomere 1 and tibiae lacking mucro. The pronotal sides of the holotype are without lateral carinae. It should be considered a member of the subfamilies present in the modern fauna. Unfortunately, the mandible structure important for discrimination of the subfamilies Chilecarinae Legalov, 2009 and Carinae C.G. Thompson, 1992 is not observable. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that the new genus is related to the tribe Chilecarini sensu stricto because the mandibles of the genera of the latter tribe are also scarcely visible. The representatives of Cretuliini Legalov, 2009, the second tribe of the subfamily Chilecarinae, differ in the wide elytra with rounded sides. The new genus is not related to the tribes Mesophyletini Poinar, 2006 and Anchineini Poinar and Legalov, 2014 from the Burmese amber because its precoxal cavities are contiguous and its antennae are not inserted in the middle part of the rostrum. It differs from the tribe Montsecanomalini (Early Cretaceous of Spain) in the elytra lacking scutellar striole. The comparatively short abdominal ventrite 1 is very different from that in the tribe Carini.

Petropsis gen. n. Type species: Petropsis rostratus sp. n.

The name of the new genus is formed the Greek πέτροζ (“petros”–stone, rock) and “ὄψιζ”(opsis–resembling a [specified] thing). Gender feminine.

Body heavily sclerotized. Rostrum thick, rather long, without antennal scrobes. Antennae not geniculate, inserted at first third of rostrum. Sides of pronotum without lateral carina. Elytra rather broad, not convex, without scutellar striole. Elytral sides almost straight. 9th striae not shortened. Pre- and postcoxal portions of prosternum short. Femora slightly thickened, without teeth. Tibiae without uncus.

Comparison. The new genus is similar to Cretocar Gratshev et Zherikhin, 2000 (Turonian of New Jersey) but distinguished from it in the comparatively short abdominal ventrites 1 and 2, almost straight and not dilated metatibiae, short precoxal portion of the prosternum, slightly convex elytra and antennae inserted distally from the midlength of the rostrum. From the genus Martinsnetoa Zherikhin et Gratshev, 2004 (Aptian-Albian of Carto Formation, Brazil), in which the place of antennal attachment is unknown, Petropsis gen. n. differs in the thicker rostrum, widened metatarsomere 1, rather short precoxal portion of the prosternum and not granulated tibiae. The genus Arariperhinus Santos et al., 2011 (Early Cretaceous of Carto Formation) is very similar to Cretocar, although the place of its antennal insertions and the shape of tarsomeres remain unknown. The new genus differs from the Arariperhinus in the comparatively short abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 and short precoxal portion of the prosternum. It is distinguished from the modern South American genera Chilecar Kuschel, 1992 and Caenominurus Voss, 1965 in the antennae inserted much more distantly from the base of the thicker rostrum, and smaller eyes that are not wider than the rostrum.

Petropsis rostrata sp. n.

(Fig. 1)

The name derives from the Latin “rostratus” (having avian beak).

Menat Basin, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The middle Paleocene; approximately 60–61 Ma. The type locality is situated around the small lake near the village of Menat (46∘06’ N; 2∘54’ E). The specimen examined has been collected in a new, small outcrop south-east of the village of Menat.

“MNT 06-3526” deposited in MTM presented by the part and counterpart which are well preserved on rather smooth pieces of rock. The specimen shows the main parts of body sclerites in lateral view but most sclerites of its appendages are missing (particularly most antennomeres and tarsomeres are not traceable, except one metatarsomere 1 and some antennomeres of one antenna). The integument of its elytra bears some remains of puncturation and sculpture; the base of head and apex of prothorax have expressed transverse strigosity. The abdomen of the holotype seems to have six ventral segments probably because the apex of the pygidium was turned ventrally, creating the appearance of an additional segment.

Body dark. Rostrum rather thick, slightly curved, nearly cylindrical from base and to apical third, slightly narrowed further; about 8.7 times as long as wide at apex, about 5.6 times as long as wide in middle, about 4.6 times as long as wide at base. Fore part of head convex, sparsely punctate. Eyes rounded, slightly longer than wide, probably convex. Temples short, about 0.2 times as long as eye length. Scape (antennomere 1) about 2.8 times as long as wide at apex, slightly widened apically. Antennomere 2 (pedicel) about 2.3 times as long as wide at apex, 0.8 times as long as and subequal in width to scape. Antennomeres 3 and 4 long and narrow, antennomere 3 about 5.0 times as long as wide, antennomere 4 about 4.0 times as long as wide, about half as wide as antennomere 2. Base of head cross-hatching ventrally.

Pronotum about 0.7 times as short as rostrum. Disc slightly convex, finely punctate. Distance between punctures subequal or slightly larger than one puncture diameter.

Elytra with weak humeri, about 2.5 times as long as pronotum, about 2.8 times as long as wide at base, about 2.3 times as long as wide in middle and about 3.3 times as long as wide in apical quarter. Intervals between striae flattened, 3.8–5.0 times as wide as striae. Striae distinct, with small oval punctures; distance between punctures larger than puncture diameter.

Precoxal cavities oval, contiguous. Pre- and postcoxal portions of prosternum subequal in length. Length of precoxal portion about 0.3 times as long as precoxal cavities. Mesocoxal cavities obliquely transverse, separated. Metanepisterna rather narrow, about 9.6 times as long as wide in middle.

Abdomen flattened, finely and transversely wrinkly-punctate. Ventrites subhomonomous. Ventrite 1 about 0.7 times as long as metacoxal cavity. Ventrite 2 about 1.2 times as long as ventrite 1. Ventrite 3 equal in length to ventrite 2. Ventrite 4 about 0.8 times as long as ventrite 3. Ventrite 5 longer than ventrite 4.

Legs rather long. Femora subequal in width. Pro- and metafemora about 3.3 times as long as wide in middle. Tibiae elongate, almost straight. Apices of metatibiae without uncus and mucro. Protibiae about 7.3 times as long as wide in middle. Metatibiae about 7.7 times longer than wide in middle. Metatarsomere 1 widened, about 1.1 times as long as wide at apex and about 1.3 times as wide as metatibiae.

Body length (without rostrum) 4.7, rostrum length 1.3 mm.

The Ithyceridae is a “relict” curculionoid group, but it was rather diverse in the Early Cretaceous (Legalov, 2015). Several species are known also from the Late Cretaceous (Gratshev and Zherikhin, 2000, Legalov, 2015 and Legalov and Poinar, 2015). This species is the unique fossil Cenozoic representative of the Chilecarinae. Two fossil genera of the subfamily Ithycerinae were known from the Eocene of North America (Legalov, 2013 and Legalov, 2015).

Family: Brentidae Billberg, 1820

Subfamily: Apioninae Schoenherr, 1823

Tribe: Aplemonini Kissinger, 1968

Genus: Perapion Wagner, 1907

The new species belongs to the family Brentidae based on the non-geniculate antennae, elongated trochanters completely separating femora and coxae and elytra lacking scutellar striole. The long trochanters completely separating femora and coxae, not geniculate antennae, visible scutellum, subconical procoxae suggest a placement of this genus in Apioninae. Discrimination of the tribes in this subfamily is mainly based on characters not observable in fossils, so we use a comparison of the genera with the short thickened rostrum and antennae inserted near the middle of the rostrum as in the new species. This character is peculiar to the genera Melanapion Wagner, 1930 (Kalcapiini Alonso-Zarazaga, 1990), Archinvolvulus Voss, 1972, and Neocyba Kissinger, 1968 (Rhadinocybini Alonso-Zarazaga, 1992), Tanaos Schoenherr, 1826 (Tanaini) and the genera of Aplemonini Kissinger, 1968. The species of Melanapion are characterized by the curved rostrum, antennae inserted at the base of the rostrum and wide striae, but our specimen has the straight rostrum, antennae inserted in the middle of the rostrum and elytra with narrow striae. The representatives of the tribe Rhadinocybini differ from considered tribes (i.e. Kalcapiini, Rhadinocybini, Tanaini, and Aplemonini) in the rather narrow elongate pronotum, but the new species has a short and wide pronotum. The rostrum of Tanaos is thick and short, shorter than the head, and rather short tibiae with mucro and apical comb of small spines, whereas the new species has a comparatively thin rostrum, which is longer than pronotum, and a rather long and not widened tibiae lacking mucro and apical spines. The tribe Aplemonini differs from similar tribes in the contiguous mesocoxae, but this character is not visible in our fossil. Nevertheless the Aplemonini can be characterized by the following additional characters: antennae inserted near middle of rostrum, more or less straight and thick rostrum usually slightly longer than pronotum, pronotum generally broad, and also elytra elongate but not strongly convex. The species under description completely fits these characteristics. It can be placed in the genus Perapion because it particularly demonstrates the straight sides of its pronotum, elytra and pronotum without semierect hairs, and also a subcylindrical rostrum.

Perapion menatensis sp. n.

(Fig. 2)

The name derives from the locality of origin of the holotype.

Menat Basin, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The middle Paleocene; approximately 60–61 Ma. Type locality is situated around the small lake near the village of Menat (46∘06’ N; 2∘54’ E). The specimen examined was collected in a new, small outcrop near the south-east of the village of Menat.

“MNT 05 167” deposited in TMT. The imprint of the holotype (part) is well preserved in a matrix of rock which is somewhat smooth and slightly becoming loose. The specimen demonstrates many body sclerites in lateral view but missing most sclerites of its appendages (particularly most antennomeres and tarsomeres are not traceable, except one intermediate leg with the entire tarsus and one posterior leg without tarsus: besides, the scape and club of one antenna are observable). The integument of the elytra has clear striation and somewhat obliterated punctures; below part of the head base bears transversely strigose; some punctures are traceable on the prothorax.

Description of holotype. Body probably dark. Rostrum thick, straight, subcylindrical, finely punctate. Rostrum about 4.5 times as long as wide at apex, about 4.2 times as long as wide in middle, about 3.7 times as long as wide at base. Forehead flat, densely punctate. Eyes oval, about 1.1 times as long as wide in middle, probably convex. Temples quite short, about 0.4 times as long as eye length. Antennae inserted almost in middle of rostrum, reaching front edge of pronotum. Scape (anennomere 1) about 3.7 times as long as wide at apex. Funicle (antennomeres 2–8) not clearly expressed, about 1.9 times as long as scape. Club fusiform, about 2.8 times as long as wide in middle, about 0.7 times as long as flagellum. Base of head cross-hatching ventrally.

Pronotum about 0.8 times as long as rostrum. Disc flat, sparsely and finely punctate. Distance between punctures significantly larger than puncture diameter. Sides of pronotum straight.

Elytra with weak humeri, about 3.1 times as long as pronotum, about 2.8 times as long as wide at base, about 2.5 times as long as wide in middle and about 4.1 times as long as wide at apical quarter. Intervals between striae flattened, wide, 5.0–6.0 times as wide as striae. Striae distinct and fairly deep.

Procoxae large, conical. Legs rather long. Femora without teeth. Profemora about 2.2 times as long as wide in middle. Mesofemora about 3.2 times as long as wide in middle. Tibiae elongated, almost straight, without mucro. Protibiae about 6.3 times as long as wide in middle. Mesotibiae about 7.5 times as long as wide in middle. Protarsi only traceable. Protarsomeres 1 and 2 trapezoidal. Protarsomere 1 about 2.3 times as long as wide at apex and about 0.7 times as wide as tibiae. Protarsomere 2 about as long as wide, about 0.6 times as long as and about 1.3 times as wide as tarsomere 1. Protarsomere 3 bilobed, about 0.8 times as long as wide at apex, subequal in length and about 1.2 times as wide as tarsomere 2. Tarsomere 5 about 4.0 times as long as wide at apex, about 1.6 times as long as and about 0.3 times as wide as tarsomere 3.

Body length (without rostrum) 3.6, rostrum length 1.0 mm.

Comparison. The new species is similar to the Recent Perapion antiquum (Gyllenhal, 1833) from South Africa but differs in the straight rostrum, sparser and smaller punctures on the pronotum and slightly greater body size.

At present, this new species is the oldest known representative of the tribe Aplemonini.

Family: Curculionidae Latreille, 1802

Subfamily: Curculioninae Latreille, 1802

Tribe: Curculionini Latreille, 1802

Subtribe:? Curculionina Latreille, 1802

Genus Menatorhis gen. n.

Type species: Balaninus elegans Piton, 1940

The name of the new genus is formed from the name of the locality from where the holotype of the type species originated (Menat) and Greek “ριζ” (“ρινοζ”) (rhis, rhinos–нос). Gender feminine.

Body sclerotized. Rostrum thick, long, with lateral antennal scrobes. Antennae geniculate, inserted before middle of rostrum. Eyes apparently medium-sized. Pronotum trapezoidal with maximum width at base. Elytra elongate, gently narrowing at apical third, without laterobasal angles sharp, with weak humeri. Lateral elytral edges from lateral view not sinuate above metepisternum. Procoxal cavities contiguous. Metafemora weakly clavate, with blunt teeth, clearly not reaching elytral apices.

The new genus differs from all the genera of tribe Curculionini sensu stricto in the elongate elytra gently narrowing at apical third. Menatorhis gen. n. is rather similar to Curculio Linnaeus, 1758 but differs from it in the weakly convex humeri and metafemora not reaching elytral apices, as well as medium-sized eyes. This new genus differs from Indocurculio Pajni, Singh et Gandhi, 1994 (subtribe Curculionina sensu stricto) in the lateral antennal scrobes. It can be compared with the genera of the subtribe Timolina Heller, 1925, but it differs from them in the weakly thickened metafemora with blunt teeth. The subtribe Erganiina Pelsue et O’Brien, 2011 differs from the new genus and other Curculionini in the connate claws and robust body. The structure of tarsal claws is not known in our fossil, but the body of Menatorhis gen. n. is clearly elongate in contrast to members of Erganiina. The comparatively small beetles with the pronotum widest near middle are united in the subtribe Archariina Pelsue et O’Brien, 2011. The new genus differs from the members of this subtribe in the prothorax with maximum width at base and rather larger body size (7.5 mm). The elytra without sharp latero-basal angles and the elongate body distinguish Menatorhis gen. n. from the members of the subtribe Labaninina Pelsue et O’Brien, 2011. The nearly straight lateral elytral edges of the new genus are quite different from those in the genera of the subtribe Pseudobalaninina Heller, 1925, characterized by the lateral margin of elytra in lateral view sinuate above metepisternum.

The holotype accessible for study represents an imprint of the beetle showing mostly the underside. However, the picture published by Piton (1940) seems to show the opposite imprint of this specimen. Probably Piton (1940) was studying two prints of the same specimen. Unfortunately, the main characters mentioned by this author and important to the diagnosis are not applicable to the imprint under study. This circumstance obliges us to seek additional accessible features. The beetle has a long and weakly curved rostrum with clear antennal grooves directed to the eyes, pronotum nearly as wide as elytral base, contiguous procoxal cavities, thickened femora with blunt teeth, and clearly striate elytra without scutellar striola. These characters make it possible to put this species into the tribe Curculionini sensu stricto including 15 genera from six subtribes (Pelsue and O’Brien, 2011). The new genus could be regarded as a member of Timolina or Curculionina, which differ in the pygidium completely covered by elytra in males or not. Because the examined specimen of Menatorhis elegans comb. n. is a female, it is impossible to put it in any of these two tribes.

Menatorhis elegans (Piton, 1940), comb. n.

Balaninus elegans Piton, 1940, p. 197-198, fig. 63.

(Fig. 3A and C)

Menat Basin, Puy-de-Dôme, France. Middle Paleocene; approximately 60–61 Ma. Type locality is situated around the small lake near the village of Menat (46∘06’ N; 2∘54’ E).

“R07010” deposited in MNHN. The imprint of the holotype (part) is poorly preserved. It represents the body in lateral view with rather obliterated sclerites and sculpture of integument, although the traces of many body sclerites, tibiae and femora, and also basal antennomeres of one antenna are observable. The integuments of the elytra are strongly obliterated and only some remains of striae can be seen at the elytral base. The imprint is entombed in hard rock.

Body probably dark. Rostrum thin, curved, subcylindrical, probably punctate; about 10.1 times as long as wide in middle. Antennae inserted almost before middle of rostrum. Scape (antennomere 1) long, about 9.1 times as long as wide at apex. Antennomere 2 about 2.5 times as long as wide, about 0.25 times as long as scape. Antennomere 3 about 3.5 times as long as wide, about 1.4 times as long as antennomere 2. Antennomere 4 about 3.0 times as long as wide, about 0.9 times as long as antennomere 3. Antennal scrobes directed to eye.

Pronotum probably wide trapezoidal with almost straight lateral edges, about 0.7 times as long as rostrum. Disc probably flat, finely punctate. Base of pronotum subequal in width to base of elytra. Scutellum subtriangular.

Elytra with weak humeri, about twice as long as pronotum, about 1.7 times as long as wide at base and in middle and about 3.0 times as long as wide at apical quarter. Intervals between striae flattened, wide, about 5.0–6.0 times as wide as striae. Striae narrow and distinct.

Procoxal cavities oval, contiguous and shifted to anterior edge of prothorax (probably as result of postmortem changes because in Recent members of Curculionini, they are located close to the posterior prothoracic edge).

Legs rather long. Femora clavate, with blunt teeth. Profemora 3.2–3.3 times as long as wide in middle. Mesofemora 2.9–3.2 times as long as wide in middle. Metafemora about 3.3 times as long as wide in middle. Tibiae elongate, almost straight, rather wide. Protibiae about 0.5 times as wide as wide of femora in middle. Metatibiae 6.8–7.2 times as long as wide in middle.

Body length (without rostrum) 7.5 mm, rostrum length 3.3 mm.

Subfamily: Entiminae Schoenherr, 1823

Tribe: Naupactini Gistel, 1856

The holotype of Hipporhinus ventricosus shows the positive imprint of the beetle. The beetle is poorly preserved, but our drawing (Fig. 3D) demonstrates some differences from the illustration in the original description (Piton, 1940: fig. 64). It is clear that this species had no mucro and uncus, it has thickened femora without teeth, a comparatively short rostrum (rather shorter than prothorax), gently narrowing apically and with antennal grooves beginning in apical third, and also larger eyes and elytra with wide punctate striae. The structure of the tibiae in Hipporhinus ventricosus makes it possible to suppose that this species can belong to subfamilies Entiminae or Cyclominae Schoenherr, 1826. These subfamilies have the most reliable distinguished characters in the structure of the gonocoxites and styli of the ovipositor (Oberprieler, 2010). The mandibles of Cyclominae have no scar of deciduous process and their prothorax is with postorbital lobes in all large representatives. The mandibular structure is not visible the examined imprint, but its pronotum is without clear postorbital lobes. The imprint of the holotype was described in the genus Hipporhinus Schoenherr, 1823 (= Bronchus Germar, 1817), although Piton included in this genus the member of different genera, such as Rhytidoderes Schoenherr, 1826 (Tropiphorini Marseul, 1863), Protainophthalmus Zherikhin, 1992 (Tanymecini Lacordaire, 1863) и Dryophthorus Schoenherr, 1825 (Dryophthorini Schoenherr, 1825) (Zherikhin, 1992 and Zherikhin, 2000). The structure of the prosternum, which is without clear postocular lobes, rostrum narrowing apically, and large body support the attribution of this fossil to the tribe Naupactini, which was known before only from the Eocene Baltic amber (Yunakov and Kirejtshuk, 2011).

Naupactini gen. indet. ventricosus (Piton, 1940)

Hipporhinus ventricosus Piton, 1940, pp. 198–199, fig. 64.

(Fig. 3B and D)

Menat Basin, Puy-de-Dôme, France. Middle Paleocene; approximately 60–61 Ma. Type locality is situated around the small lake near the village of Menat (46°06’ N; 2°54’ E).

“R06684” deposited in MNHN. The imprint of the holotype (part) is poorly preserved and shows very obliterated sclerites of the body and some appendages, and also a few large punctures at the elytral base, which are arranged in longitudinal rows. The imprint is entombed in hard rock.

Body dark. Rostrum rather short, almost straight, slightly narrowed to apex, about 1.9 times as long as wide in middle, with antennal scrobe in second third, probably with longitudinal carinae. Forehead convex. Eyes rounded, large. Antennae probably inserted in first third of rostrum.

Pronotum probably transverse, about 1.6 times as long as rostrum.

Elytra about 3.5 times as long as pronotum, with weak humeri. Elytron about 3.6 times as long as wide at base, about 2.7 times as long as wide in middle and about 5.1 times as long as wide at apical quarter. Intervals flattened, wide. Striae distinct, with large and sparse punctures.

Precoxal portion of prosternum rather long. Metanepisternum large and visible.

Procoxae located near base of prosternum. Legs long. Femora without teeth. Profemora about 2.5–3.2 times as long as wide in middle. Metafemora about 3.2 times as long as wide in middle. Tibiae elongated, almost straight, without uncus and mucro. Metatibiae about 6.5 times as long as wide in middle.

Body length (without rostrum) – 17.3 mm, rostrum length – 3.6 mm.