A new genus and species of maimetshid wasps in Lebanese Early Cretaceous amber (Hymenoptera: Maimetshidae)

A new genus and species of bethylid wasps is described and figured from a female preserved in Early Cretaceous (Barremian) amber from Lebanon. Holopsenella primotica, new genus and species, is distinguished from other bethylids and segregated into a new subfamily, Holopsenellinae, along with Cretabythus sibiricus Evans in Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Taimyrian amber. Holopsenellines are perhaps basal within the family, representing a stem group to other Bethylidae, and, if so, those features shared with the coeval Lancepyrinae suggest a basal position for that lineage as well. In addition, Lancepyris alavaensis Ortega-Blanco and Engel in Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from northern Spain is considered generically distinct from the type species of the genus, L. opertus Azevedo and Azar in Lebanese amber, and is transferred to the new genus, Zophepyris, resulting in the new combination, Zophepyris alavaensis (Ortega-Blanco and Engel). The genus Archaepyris Evans, currently considered as incertae se...

The group referred to informally as the corystosperms, described initially based on compression fossils from the Triassic of Gondwana, have long been considered critical extinct plants for understanding seed plant phylogeny, the evolution of seed plant reproductive structures and the relationships of angiosperms. Here we describe a new genus and species of corystosperm seed-bearing structure, Jarudia zhoui gen. et sp. nov., based on abundant silicified material collected from the newly discovered chert in the Early Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, north-eastern China. Jarudia zhoui is a lax seed cone consisting of a flexible central axis bearing deciduous, helically arranged, lateral seed-bearing units. Individual seed-bearing units consist of an elongate bract partially fused to an unbranched cupule stalk that bears a single, reflexed cupule apically. Each cupule is formed by the strongly reflexed cupule stalk and one median and two lateral flaps. The cupule stalk supplied by two vascular bundles and three unvascularized flaps partially enclose two three-angled seeds. Jarudia zhoui bears a striking resemblance to Doylea tetrahedrasperma from the Early Cretaceous of Canada and similar plants from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. There are also strong similarities with ovulate structures of Umkomasia from the Triassic of Gondwana in the structure and anatomy of individual cupules, their axial nature, and the architecture of the entire seed-bearing structure that has two orders of branching. New information from Jarudia zhoui, together with information on other corystosperm ovulate organs from the Northern Hemisphere, significantly expands our understanding of this key group of extinct plants, suggests that the cupules of the Early Cretaceous and Triassic corystosperms are homologous, and raises critical questions about the definition and phylogenetic circumscription of the corystosperms, including how Early Cretaceous and Triassic corystosperms are related to each other and to other groups of seed plants, including angiosperms.

The chrysidoid wasp family Embolemidae (Chrysidoidea: Dryiniformes) is recorded in Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from Peñacerrada (Spain). Embolemus periallus Ortega-Blanco, Delclòs, and Engel, new species, is the first definitive embolemid in Cretaceous amber and the first definitive record of the family from the Mesozoic. The new taxon is described, illustrated, and compared with its modern counterparts. The geological history of the family is reviewed and the putative placement of the Early Cretaceous genus Baissobius briefly discussed.

A new species of the family Anaxyelidae (Eosyntexis parva n. sp.) is described. This is the first record of the family from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber. The specimen is mostly well preserved, except for dorsally. This makes it possible to identify several important details rarely or never observed in compression fossils. Eosyntexis spp. and the closely related genus Cretosyntexis are confined to the Eurasian Lower Cretaceous, whereas the extant monotypic genus Syntexis is restricted to western North America. The morphology of this new species suggests xylophagous habitus, and its relation with Syntexis libocedrii implies a possible relationship with burned wood, apparently a frequently available resource in northern Spanish forests of the Lower Cretaceous.

New fossil evaniids (Hymenoptera, Evanioidea) from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

In this paper the data on fossils of the family Cerophytidae are reviewed. New synonymy on generic names Necromera Martynov 1926 (proposed in composition of the family Oedemeridae); Idiomerus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980, n. syn. (proposed in composition of Elateridae) and Leptocnemus Hong & Wang 1990, n. syn. (proposed without any family attribution) is established. New materials on this family from Mesozoic deposits of Asia are cited. As a result, it was established that this spreads in deposits of both Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. Mercata festira Lin 1986 described from Lower Jurassic as member of Silphidae and Abrotus reconditus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980 described from Upper Jurassic as a member of Elateridae are transferred to Cerophytidae. Diagnoses of the genus Necromera and family Cerophytidae in compression fossils are elaborated. Necromera admiranda n. sp. is described from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous in Liaoning, China. The historical development of the family from the Lower Jurassic is discussed.

Grimmiaceae in the Early Cretaceous: Tricarinella crassiphylla gen. et sp. nov. and the value of anatomically preserved bryophytes.

Although bees are one of the major lineages of pollinators and are today quite diverse, few well-preserved fossils are available from which to establish the tempo of their diversification/extinction since the Early Cretaceous. Here we present a reassessment of the taxonomic affinities of Melitta willardi Cockerell 1909, preserved as a compression fossil from the Florissant shales of Colorado, USA. Based on geometric morphometric wing shape analyses M. willardi cannot be confidently assigned to the genus Melitta Kirby (Anthophila, Melittidae). Instead, the species exhibits phenotypic affinity with the subfamily Andreninae (Anthophila, Andrenidae), but does not appear to belong to any of the known genera therein. Accordingly, we describe a new genus, Andrenopteryx gen. n., based on wing shape as well as additional morphological features and to accommodate M. willardi. The new combination Andrenopteryx willardi (Cockerell) is established.

The braconid wasp subfamily Protorhyssalinae is recognized from Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber of Penacerrada, Spain. Protorhyssalopsis perrichoti Ortega-Blanco, Delclos, and Engel, new genus and species, is described and figured from a single female and differs from the other two genera ascribed to this doubtfully natural subfamily. The new genus differs in details of wing venation, and mesosomal and mouthpart morphology from Protorhyssalus Basibuyuk et al. (in Turonian New Jersey amber) and Protorhyssalodes Perrichot et al. (in Albian-Cenomanian French amber). The uncertain subfamilial placement for the recently described genus Aenigmabracon Perrichot et al. is also briefly discussed.

Three new species of parasitoid wasp are described and figured from Early Miocene (Early Burdigalian) compression fossils from Rubielos de Mora Basin, Spain. These wasps are significant as they are representative of two families exceedingly rare in the fossil record. The first is a species of the family Perilampidae (Chalcidoidea) and, aside from an old and unconfirmed record of an undescribed Perilampus in Baltic amber, is the only documented fossil of this lineage. Perilampus renzii, new species, is described from a single female. The remaining two species are both of the family Megaspilidae (Ceraphronoidea), which is otherwise known in the fossil record solely from a paucity of species preserved in fossil resins. Conostigmus lazaros, new species, and C. chthonios, new species, are distinguished from each other as well as modern congeners.

The correct interpretation of fossils and their reliable taxonomic placements are fundamental for understanding the evolutionary history of biodiversity. Amber inclusions often preserve more morphological information than compression fossils, but are often partially hidden or distorted, which can impede taxonomic identification. Here, we studied four new fossil species of Darwin wasps from Baltic and Dominican amber, using micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scans and 3D reconstructions to accurately interpret and increase the availability of morphological information. We then infer their taxonomic placement in a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis by combining morphological and molecular data of extant and fossil Darwin wasps and evaluate the impact and usefulness of the additional information from micro-CT scanning. The results show that although we gained significant morphological information from micro-CT scanning, especially concerning measurements and hidden dorsal and ventral structures, this did not impact subfamily-level placement for any of the four fossils. However, micro-CT scanning improved the precision of fossil placements at the genus level, which might be key in future dating and diversification analyses. Finally, we describe the four new fossil species as Rhyssa gulliveri sp. nov. in Rhyssinae, Triclistus levii sp. nov. in Metopiinae, Firkantus freddykruegeri gen. et. sp. nov. in Pimplinae and Magnocula sarcophaga gen. et sp. nov. in Phygadeuontinae. The first two species are the first known representatives of the subfamilies Rhyssinae and Metopiinae in amber.

Agastoroxenia panamensis Nieves-Aldrey & Medianero, a new genus and species of inquiline oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from material reared from unidentified Andricus galls (Cynipini) on Quercus lancifolia Schltdl. & Cham. collected in Panama. The new genus is the first genus of inquiline oak gall wasps described from the Neotropics and the first species of this group recorded from Panama. The new genus is related to Saphonecrus and Synergus but differs from these genera mainly by the unique conformation of the male and female antenna.

The parasitoid wasp family Diapriidae, and the Belytinae subfamily in particular, are abundant in the fossil record, yet understudied. In this contribution, a new genus and species of belytine wasp is described and illustrated, based on two males from the Cenomanian Kachin amber: Eoaclista exquisita gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon is particular as it retains the 1cu-a and 2cu-a veins as tubular on the fore wing, a character previously only found in the Monomachidae for the Diaprioidea superfamily. Eoaclista exquisita gen. et sp. nov. shows that the 2cu-a vein was still present in early diverging Diapriidae, and that it has been lost at least three times in the family, and five times in the superfamily. It also highlights that the relationships within the Diaprioidea are still poorly understood and that wing characters should be treated with caution in a phylogenetic context.

Abstract. A new genus and species of fossil wood wasp is described and figured from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, representing the first occurrence of the family Xiphydriidae in the fossil record. Paraxiphydria resinata gen. et sp. nov. exhibits typical apomorphies of the family including a generally cylindrical body, elongate neck and dome-shaped head. Nonetheless, owing to a unique combination of traits including features hitherto unknown among species of the family, the genus is classified within a separate subfamily, Paraxiphydriinae subfam. nov. A key is presented to the suprageneric groups of Xiphydriidae. The newly described species is the first fossil xiphydriid wood wasp, extends the occurrence of Xiphydriidae into the mid-Cretaceous and adds to the known diversity of features in the family. Lastly, the simplification of wing venation and hypotheses of host-plant affiliations of early xiphydriids are discussed. We evaluate pollen associated with the wasp, assign it to the genus Cycadopites and conclude that an affiliation to the Cycadales is most likely. Article and nomenclatural acts are registered in ZooBank (http://zoobank.org/, last access: 15 December 2021), with the following life science identifier (LSID) (reference): urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DA80920E-E94B-4A8E-A817-077FA7BD7D69.

Morphologically Specialized Termite Castes and Advanced Sociality in the Early Cretaceous