Abstract In the world of insects, beetles rule. Evolutionary and palaeoecological interpretations using fossil beetles from Cretaceous ambers have become increasingly frequent in recent years, consequently leading to the discovery of an increasing number of new coleopteran species. By the end of 2019, a total of 364 new species from 81 families (some of them only known as fossils) were compiled, which are presented in this article. Beetles are currently among the most important pollinators of basal flowering plants and are thought to have been so since the origin of angiosperms. Some recent studies on specimens from Cretaceous amber support this idea, indicating the existence of a pre-existing guild of beetles that pollinated gymnosperms during the Early Cretaceous, with some groups moving from older gymnosperm to more recent angiosperm hosts. The effect of wood-boring beetle pests on resiniferous ancient forests has been widely cited in the literature, but there is no direct evidence in Cretaceous ambers. The current abundance of Lymexylidae beetles in Kachin amber (Myanmar) suggests that together with abiotic factors such as wildfires, storms, hurricanes and volcanos, fungal infections should also be thoroughly analysed as a cause of resin release in the past. In this review, we show how beetles from Cretaceous ambers are a useful tool for studying community and trophic structures as well as evolutionary implications for the ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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白垩纪含树脂森林琥珀中的鞘翅目

摘要 在昆虫世界中，甲虫占主导地位。近年来，使用来自白垩纪琥珀的化石甲虫进行进化和古生态学解释变得越来越频繁，从而导致发现越来越多的新鞘翅目物种。截至2019年底，共编纂81科364个新物种（其中一些仅被称为化石），在本文中进行介绍。甲虫目前是基部开花植物最重要的传粉媒介之一，并且被认为自被子植物起源以来一直如此。最近对白垩纪琥珀标本的一些研究支持了这一观点，表明在白垩纪早期，存在一个预先存在的甲虫行会，它们为裸子植物授粉，一些群体从较老的裸子植物转移到较新的被子植物宿主。钻木虫害虫对含树脂古林的影响在文献中被广泛引用，但在白垩纪琥珀中没有直接证据。目前克钦琥珀（缅甸）中大量的 Lymexylidae 甲虫表明，除了野火、风暴、飓风和火山等非生物因素外，还应彻底分析真菌感染作为过去树脂释放的原因。在这篇综述中，我们展示了白垩纪琥珀中的甲虫如何成为研究群落和营养结构以及对生态系统进化意义的有用工具。目前克钦琥珀（缅甸）中大量的 Lymexylidae 甲虫表明，除了野火、风暴、飓风和火山等非生物因素外，还应彻底分析真菌感染作为过去树脂释放的原因。在这篇综述中，我们展示了白垩纪琥珀中的甲虫如何成为研究群落和营养结构以及对生态系统进化意义的有用工具。目前克钦琥珀（缅甸）中大量的 Lymexylidae 甲虫表明，除了野火、风暴、飓风和火山等非生物因素外，还应彻底分析真菌感染作为过去树脂释放的原因。在这篇综述中，我们展示了白垩纪琥珀中的甲虫如何成为研究群落和营养结构以及对生态系统进化意义的有用工具。