Gurina A.A.1, Dudko R.Yu.1, Prosvirov A.S.2, Tshernyshev S.E.1, Legalov A.A.1, Zinovyev E.V.3 2019. Coleoptera assemblages from the Quaternary deposits of Kizikha river, the southernmost late Pleistocene insects of the West Siberian Plain // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.16. No.2: 165–182 [in English].
1 Laboratory of Phylogeny and Faunogenesis, Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Street 11, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia.
2 Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, Moscow 119234, Russia.
3 Laboratory of Phylogenetics and Biochronology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vos’mogo Marta Street 202, Yekaterinburg 620144, Russia.
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.16.2.05
ABSTRACT: Two sites with insect remains were found in an exposure on the bank of Kizikha river, in the Rubtsovskii District of the Altaiskii Krai of Russia, Kizikha-1 with radiocarbon age 13455±150 14C BP (SPb-1347), and Kizikha-2 with the age 26094±400 14C BP (SPb-1418). This period is coincides with Sartan stadial and Kargin interstadial (MIS 2 and MIS 3). This is the southernmost late Pleistocene insect bearing deposit found in West Siberia. The fragments in both sites are represented mainly by Coleoptera. Beetle fauna from the site Kizikha-1 is represented by 34 species from 9 families. The majority of fragments belong to weevils and ground beetles. 28 species from 8 families are found in Kizikha-2 site, the majority of fragments belong to Carabidae. 7 species found in the sites, Dyschiriodes rufimanus, Cymindis cf. rostowtzowi (Carabidae), Cidnopus cf. parallelus, Pristilophus punctatissimus (Elateridae), Hemitrichapion alexsandri (Brentidae), Paophilus albilaterus and Otiorhynchus sushkini (Curculionidae), are recorded in Pleistocene deposits for the first time. Sub-fossil insect assemblages of the two sites coincides with the late Pleistocene “Otiorhynchus-type” sub-fossil insect fauna from southeastern part of West-Siberian Plain (Zinovyev, 2011; Legalov et al., 2016) with characteristics as follows: dominance of steppe species, presence of halophile species, lack of forest species. Most of these species are absent in the contemporary regional fauna. The complex of eastern species and presence of endemics of Altai-Sayan Mountain system is also characteristic to the both studied sites. Specifics of the deposit assemblages in comparison with the other late Pleistocene fauna of West Siberian Plain is in high share of meadow species that could be explained by taphonomic condition of sedimentation or microclimatic conditions caused by close location to Altai mountains. Analysis of sub-fossil insect fragments showed that open landscapes with zonal steppe and sparse meadow vegetation near rivers and in depressions were typical for this area. In comparison to contemporary conditions climate was dry and cold, but Kizikha-2 (end of MIS 3) was formed in more mild climate conditions than Kizikha-1 (end of MIS 2). Results gained from Kizikha-1 and Kizikha-2 sites are complementing data on latitudinal-zonal distribution of beetles found in late Pleistocene deposits in West Siberian Plain.
KEY WORDS: paleoentomology; sub-fossil insects; late Pleistocene; Kargin interglacial; Sartan stadial; Siberia; Otiorhynchus-type fauna.