Colemanus keeleyorum (Braconidae, Ichneutinae s. l.): a new genus and species of Eocene wasp from the Green River Formation of western North America

J Fisher,Michael Sharkey,Erika Tucker

doi:10.3897/jhr.44.4727

Abstract

A new genus and species of Ichneutinae s. l., Colemanus keeleyorum Fisher, is described from the Eocene Green River Formation in Colorado, USA. Colemanus was placed on a phylogenetic hypothesis using morphological data. Using a parsimony criterion, Colemanus is placed within Proteropini (Ichneutinae s. l.). Reconstructions of well-preserved regions (mesosomal dorsum and wings) are included. A previously described species from lower Oligocene Baltic amber is transferred to Colemanus, resulting in the new combination C. contortus (Brues, 1933).

Highlights

We describe Colemanus keeleyorum gen. n. et sp. n. (Braconidae: Ichneutinae s. l.) from the Eocene Green River Formation in the western United States
Taxa included (Table 2) were based upon the molecular analysis of Braconidae presented by Sharanowski et al (2011) with the following modifications: 1) highly derived groups were excluded (e.g., Miracinae); 2) sampling of Cardiochilinae was increased given the superficial resemblance of certain genera to Colemanus (Bohayella and Schoenlandella); 3) Heteropteron was added due to its basal placement within Cardiochilinae (Dangerfield et al 1999); 4) Sharanowski et al (2011) included only two of the five proteropine genera (Proterops and Muesonia), we added Helconichia due to its resemblance to the fossil
The mesosoma contained sections preserved in excellent detail, the overall quality prevented complete reconstruction

Summary

Introduction

We describe Colemanus keeleyorum gen. n. et sp. n. (Braconidae: Ichneutinae s. l.) from the Eocene Green River Formation in the western United States. The microgastroid complex is a well-supported rapid radiation (e.g., Whitfield and Lockhart 2007, Whitfield and Kjer 2008, Murphy et al 2008, Sharanowski et al 2011) well-known for its association with host-immunosuppressing polydnaviruses (e.g., Whitfield 2000). Normally treated as a single subfamily, phylogenetic analysis often renders Ichneutinae paraphyletic (e.g., Quicke and van Achterberg 1990, Belshaw et al 2000, Dowton et al 2002, Sharanowski et al 2011). The fossil resembles Cardiochilinae because the last abscissa of the fore wing radial sector (3RSb) is recurved, unlike many cardiochilines this vein remains tubular as it reaches the wing margin; and it resembles Proteropini Colemanus keeleyorum (Braconidae, Ichneutinae s. l.): a new genus and species

Materials and methods

Fore wing 1M

Results