Abstract:
A fossil scarabaeoid (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) Mahengea mckayi new genus, new species – the
only well-preserved insect fossil and one of only a few insects found at the site – is described from
an otherwise rich Eocene (~ 45.6 mya) maar Lagerstätte at Mahenge in central northern Tanzania.
Numerous fossil fishes and plants have been recovered from this site and described. The dearth of insect
fossils is surprising considering their richness in other deposits of similar origin and age. We suggest that
the rich fish fauna present in the oxygen-rich parts of the water in the former volcanic crater lake may
have scavenged most of the terrestrial insects that fell into the water. Although the fossil described here is
undoubtedly that of a member of the Scarabaeoidea, the family placement remains unsure.
SIGNIFICANCE : We describe the first Eocene fossil scarab from Africa. It is one of only a few scarab fossils from the continent
and one of the best-preserved insect (invertebrate) fossils from the deposit.
