Holopsenella primotica, Engel & Ortega-Blanco & Azevedo, 2016

Engel, Michael S., Ortega-Blanco, Jaime & Azevedo, Celso O., 2016, A New Bethylid Wasp in Lebanese Early Cretaceous Amber (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), with Comments on other Mesozoic Taxa, American Museum Novitates 2016 (3855), pp. 1-16 : 7-10

Holopsenella primotica , new species

Figures 1–2

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (see above).

DESCRIPTION: Female. Body robust, length (as preserved) 3.87 mm; integument dark brown to black (fig. 1), with sparse, short pubescence. Head broad (figs. 1A, 2B), width across compound eyes 0.88 mm, length (to apex of clypeus) 0.75 mm; integument impunctate and smooth; genae broad; frons slightly convex in profile; depression present between and anterior to antennal toruli and bordering base of projected clypeus; clypeus short, surface smooth, with low mediolongitudinal ridge, otherwise surface flat, sparse, short, erect setae along margin; compound eyes circular, well separated from posterior border of head dorsally and laterally; ocelli present, small; antennal toruli separated by more than one torular diameter, upper portion of torulus slightly bulging; antenna with 12 articles (i.e., 10 flagellomeres); scape short and robust, ventral surface slightly arched, ca. 2 times as long as wide; pedicel slightly longer than wide, shorter than basal flagellomeres; flagellomeres cylindrical, first flagellomere shorter than second flagellomere, remaining flagellomeres slightly and progressively shorter to apicalmost flagellomere, which is longer and slightly tapered apically; vertex flat, with posterior border of head straight in dorsal view, with rounded corners. Pronotum with prominent disc separated from collar (fig. 1A, 2B), discal surface apparently imbricate, lateral surfaces slightly concave; discal surface transverse with lateral borders only slightly converging anteriorly, posterior margin broadly concave; mesoscutum wider than long, integument apparently imbricate and impunctate, notauli well impressed; parapsidal lines not evident; mesoscutellum semioval, wider than long, posterior border narrowly rounded, with weak mesoscutellar groove spanning approximately medial two-thirds of anterior margin; propleuron with lateral margin evenly convex in ventral view, inner borders closely adjoined; prosternum small, largely obscured; metanotum distinct dorsally, separating mesoscutellum and propodeum, sculpture not evident; propodeum about as wide as long, with dorsal posterolateral corners acute, angulate, not projecting as distinct spines or tubercles, posterior border carinate, surface irregularly roughened. Legs with sparse, minute setae; femora distinctly swollen, particularly profemur; tibiae elongate; basitarsi slender, longer than wide, longest tarsomeres; mediotarsomeres short, nearly transverse, around 2 times wider than long; apicalmost tarsomere slightly longer than wide or as wide as long; pretarsal claws long, gently curved apically, with minute ventral tooth in apical third; arolium prominent. Forewing with exceedingly sparse microtrichia; bullae present between pterostigma and C and Sc+R; pterostigma about 3 times longer than wide, faintly convex inside marginal cell, with apex tapering; marginal cell broad basally, with long and apically curved r-rs (fig. 2C); R extending slightly beyond apex of Rs along anterior wing margin; M extending only slightly beyond submarginal cell posterior apex; Cu not reaching wing margin. Metasoma arising low on propodeum, not petiolate, about as long as remainder of body, integument impunctate, smooth to faintly imbricate; first tergum with prominent vertical anterior-facing surface, with weak transverse carina running along ridge with dorsal-facing surface (fig. 2A); last metasomal tergum with prominent, elongate setae; sting exposed, long and slightly curved (fig. 2D).

Male. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: Female, AMNH L-924 (fig. 1); no. 12, Early Cretaceous (Barremian), northern Lebanon, Bchare Mountain , 2300 m (Antoni Estephan collection); deposited in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is the New Latin term primoticus, meaning, “pertaining to happening early,” and as a reference to both the antiquity and putatively primitive nature of the present species.

Subfamily Lancepyrinae Azevedo and Azar

Zophepyris , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Lancepyris alavaensis Ortega-Blanco and Engel, 2013 .

DIAGNOSIS: Female. Head prognathous; frons without longitudinal carina or polished line; space between antennal toruli depressed (similar to Lancepyris Azevedo and Azar ); antennal flagellum with 11 flagellomeres (similar to Lancepyris ); scape distinctly thickened compared to pedicel and flagellum; compound eye well developed, circular, separated from posterior head margin in dorsal view by less than half of compound eye length; ocelli present (similar to Lancepyris ); clypeus transverse, flat; mandible short and thick, with three apical teeth (similar to Lancepyris ). Pronotal disc transverse trapezoidal (similar to Lancepyris ), posterior margin of pronotal disc gently and evenly concave (similar to Lancepyris ); mesoscutum with notauli distinctly impressed (similar to Lancepyris ), slightly converging posteriorly, not meeting medially; tegula present (similar to Lancepyris ); mesoscutellum short, narrowly rounded, mesoscutellar groove not evident (but dorsal view of specimen is darkened and difficult to observe); metanotum distinctly separating mesoscutellar posterior border from base of propodeum (similar to Lancepyris ); propodeum not constricted anteriorly (similar to Lancepyris ); propodeal disc with dorsal posterolateral corners rounded, without spines or tubercles (similar to Lancepyris ). Macropterous; forewing with comparatively tubular and pigmented veins defining four closed cells (costal, medial, cubital, and marginal) (similar to Lancepyris ), with anterior wing margin straight (similar to Lancepyris ); C present with costal cell narrow and of even width across length (similar to Lancepyris ); 1Rs/1M straight; Rs+M absent (or spectral?); marginal cell closed (similar to Lancepyris ), distal part of Rs almost straight, resulting in evenly tapering marginal cell across its length (similar to Lancepyris ), apex of cell pointed on wing margin, cell comparatively narrow and elongate, length 4.3 times longer than width; pterostigma longer than wide (similar to Lancepyris ), with r-rs arising in apical half of pterostigmal length; 1Cu present, tubular, pigmented, parallel with posterior wing margin (similar to Lancepyris ); cu-a straight. Tibial spur formula 1-2-2 (similar to Lancepyris ); basitarsi longest tarsomere, as long as remaining tarsomeres combined; pretarsal claws gently arched (similar to Lancepyris ). Metasoma slightly longer than mesosoma, not petiolate (similar to Lancepyris ). Male. Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: The new genus-group name is a combination of the Greek term zophos, meaning, “gloomy” or “dusky” and used to refer to the nether world, and the generic name Epyris , commonly used as a stem for many bethylid genera. The gender of the name is masculine.

COMMENTS: Zophepyris differ from Lancepyris in the more rounded compound eye (subelliptical in Lancepyris opertus Azevedo and Azar ), the more narrowly elongate marginal cell (broader in L. opertus ), Rs+M absent (Rs+M present in L. opertus ), M+Cu not aligned with 1Cu, slightly offset (aligned in L. opertus ), and cu-a distad 1M (confluent in L. opertus ). The absence of Rs+M is a noteworthy feature that is more epyrinelike, although it could not be confirmed whether the vein is present spectrally owing to the preservation and darkness of the Spanish amber piece in which the holotype is included.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Presently the genus includes only the type species, Zophepyris alavaensis (Ortega-Blanco and Engel) , new combination .

Genus Archaepyris Evans

Archaepyris Evans, 1973: 174 .

TYPE SPECIES: Archaepyris minutus Evans, 1973 , by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Male. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres; compound eye large and circular; mandible with four sharp apical teeth; pronotal disc moderately short, depressed anteriorly; mesoscutum somewhat long, with notauli, and basal mesoscutellar pit or groove not visible; propodeal disc short; propodeal declivity almost vertical; legs not spinose; pretarsal claws weakly dentate; macropterous; forewing with cell 2R1 open and almost lanceolate; prestigma absent; pterostigma rectangular (for a full description see Evans, 1973). Female. Unknown.

COMMENTS: According to Evans (1973), Archaepyris could be considered a highly generalized bethylid, and the genus combines features usually recognized in several subfamilies of Bethylidae . The general form is similar to Epyris , but the venation is suggestive of some Pristocerinae . However, the pattern of the third section of the forewing Rs suggests a similarity with some Bethylinae , e.g., Eupsenella Westwood (see Ramos and Azevedo 2012: 72–76, figs. 93–137). On the other hand, this peculiarity also can be found in Lancepyrinae ( Azevedo and Azar, 2012) . Archaepyris also exhibit other characters of Lancepyrinae , such as the large compound eyes, the small ocelli, the mandibles with three or more sharp apical teeth, the convex crest of the vertex, the absence of a prestigma, the rectangular pterostigma, the open and almost lanceolate marginal cell, the presence of a long Rs+M, and the sessile metasoma ( Azevedo and Azar, 2012: 212, figs. 1–4). Considering these traits, we are convinced that Archaepyris are better placed within Lancepyrinae and we accordingly transfer the genus to this subfamily.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Presently the genus includes only the type species, Archaepyris minutus Evans, 1973 , from Santonian-aged Taimyrian amber .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Microphotographs of the holotype female of Holopsenella primotica, new genus and species (AMNH L-924), in Lebanese Early Cretaceous amber (scale bars = 1 mm). A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Holotype female of Holopsenella primotica, new genus and species (AMNH L-924), in Lebanese Early Cretaceous amber (scale bars A, B, D = 1 mm; C = 0.5 mm). A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Forewing (d = discoidal cell; sd = subdiscoidal cell). D. Lateral, ventral-oblique view of metasoma.