The beetle fauna of mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber: a systematic synthesis

Kachin amber from northern Myanmar, dated to the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 99 Ma), is an exceptional fossil Lagerstätte that preserves ancient terrestrial ecosystems in vivid, three-dimensional detail. Over the past decade, numerous beetle taxa representing a wide range of extant and extinct lineages have been described from this deposit, substantially expanding our knowledge of Cretaceous coleopteran diversity. Despite these discoveries, a comprehensive synthesis of the beetle fauna from Kachin amber remains unavailable. Here, we review the current record of beetles from Kachin amber and summarize the taxonomic composition of the fauna across major coleopteran groups. Particular attention is paid to fossils of evolutionary or ecological significance. This synthesis provides an updated overview of the diversity and systematic composition of the Kachin amber beetle fauna and highlights the importance of the deposit for future studies of beetle evolution and Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems.