Phanerotoma menieri, Belokobylskij & Nel & Waller & Plöeg, 2010

Belokobylskij, Sergey A., Nel, André, Waller, Alain & Plöeg, Gael De, 2010, New fossil non-cyclostome braconid wasps from the lowermost Eocene amber of Paris Basin, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 55 (3), pp. 519-527 : 524-526

Phanerotoma menieri sp. nov.

Figs. 3, 4 .

Etymology: After our colleague Professor Jean−Jacques Menier.

Holotype: Female, MNHN A32945 , mounted in Canada balsam.

Type locality: Farm Le Quesnoy, Chevrière, region of Creil, Oise department.

Type horizon: Lowermost Eocene, in amber, circa 53 Myr, Sparnacian, level MP7 of the mammal fauna of Dormaal ( Nel et al. 1999).

Diagnosis.—This new species is very similar to Phanerotoma baltica Brues, 1933 in the strongly enlarged eyes, the same number of antennal segments and the less strongly produced angles on the propodeum. Phanerotoma menieri sp. nov. dif−

BELOKOBYLSKIJ ET AL.—EOCENE NON−CYCLOSTOME BRACONID WASPS FROM FRANCE 525

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fers from the latter in having the pale colour of the body, the finely punctate face, the not deeply excavate occiput, the very short temple, the weakly and not completely sculptured propodeum, the not flattened metasoma, the short second metasomal tergite, and the short ovipositor.

Description.—Body length 3.2 mm; fore wing length 2.6 mm.

Head distinctly transverse, possibly not deeply excavate posteriorly, about twice as wide as maximum length, 1.4 times as wide as mesoscutum, strongly and roundly narrowed behind eyes. Ocelli enlarged. Eye very large, without doi:10.4202/app.2009.1114

emargination opposite antennal socket, medially about 3.5 times longer than temple (in lateral view of head), 1.2 times as high as median width. Malar space very short, almost indistinct. Face quite narrow, 1.2 times as wide as high medially, 0.7 times as wide as eye high. Clypeus subround, weakly convex (lateral view), distinctly and roundly convex on the ventral margin and with two distinct, small and obtuse medioventral teeth, 1.4 times as wide as high medially, 0.85 times as wide as face, 0.8 times as high as face medially. Mandible long, not twisted apically, subparallel−sided in apical 0.7, with long, wide and pointed teeth. Temple and possibly vertex smooth, face sparsely and rather finely punctate.

Antennae thickened, setiform, 27−segmented, about 0.8 times as long as body. Scape distinctly thickened, about twice longer than its maximum width, 4.5 times longer than pedicel. First flagellar segment almost 3.0 times longer than its apical width, 1.2 times longer than second segment. Segments much shortened in apical third of antenna, 16th and 17th ones almost square. Four apical segments narrow; penultimate one 1.4 times longer than width, 0.8 times as long as apical segment; the latter obtuse apically.

Mesosoma 1.5 times longer than maximum high. Posterior flange of propleuron present, long and narrow. Mesoscutum wide, 1.4 times as wide as long medially, possibly densely punctate. Notauli distinct, rather deep anterior and shallow posterior, distinctly crenulate. Prescutellar depression narrow. Mesopleuron distinctly convex, clearly punctate posteriorly and finely punctate anteriorly. Subalar depression narrow, short and distinctly crenulate. Prepectal carina complete but not strong. Postpectal carina possibly present. Sternauli distinct, shallow, oblique. Propodeum weakly rugose, almost smooth basally, in lateral view almost horizontal in basal 0.3, strongly abrupt in apical 0.7, with very low and wide lateral tubercles, with transverse submedian carina not strong.

Wings: Fore wing about 2.5 times longer than maximum width. Costal vein (C+SC+R) wide. Pterostigma wide, first abscissa of radial vein (r) arising almost from apical 0.3 of pterostigma. Radial (marginal) cell weakly shortened, 2.5 times longer than maximum width, its anterior margin 1.6 times longer than pterostigma. First abscissa of radial vein (r) long, 0.8 times as long as pterostigma wide, 1.3 times longer than second abscissa of radial vein (3−SR). Second abscissa of radial vein (3−SR) 0.2 times as long as distinctly curved third abscissa (SR1), about 0.4 times as long as weakly S−shaped first radiomedial vein (2−SR), 0.8 times as long as second radiomedial vein (r−m). Parastigma large, subround. Discoidal (discal) cell rather narrow sessile anteriorly, almost twice longer then its width. Recurrent vein (m−cu) far postfurcal, 1.5 times longer than second abscissa of medial vein (2−SR+M). Second radiomedial (submarginal) cell large, about 1.8 times longer than maximum wide. Nervulus (cu−a) far postfurcal, first abscissa of cubital vein (1−CU1) almost as long as nervulus (cu−a). Brachial (subdiscal) cell closed apico−posteriorly by brachial vein (CU1b). Hind wing incompletely known due to vein discolouration.

Le g s: Fore and middle femora and tibiae rather slender; fore femur 4.5 times, middle one about 5.5 times longer than their width; both tibiae weakly widened apically. Hind femur about 3.5 times longer than wide. Hind tibia distinctly widened towards apex, 4.8 times longer than maximum width, 1.1 times longer than hind femur, almost as wide as hind femur. Inner tibial spur about 0.8 times as long as maximum width of tibia, 1.7 times longer than outer spur.

Metasoma not strongly convex (lateral view), not flattened, with two rather deep and crenulate sutures, a little longer than mesosoma, 1.7 times longer than its maximum width. In lateral view, first tergite 1.4 times longer than second one and almost as long as third tergite. First tergite in basal 0.7 with distinct and convergent dorsal carinae. Second tergite 0.5 times as long as maximum width, 0.8 times as long as first and third tergites. Third tergite distinctly, regularly and roundly narrowed posteriorly, without postero−ventral processes. Metasomal carapace entirely covered by dense rugose−areolate sculpture. Ovipositor sheath 0.7 times as long as third metasomal tergite.

C o l o u r: Metasoma pale reddish brown, head and mesosoma darker. Antenna yellow, basally and apically infuscate. Wings hyaline; pterostigma dark brown.

Figures

Fig. 4. Drawings of braconid wasp Phanerotoma menieri sp. nov., holotype of female, A32945, from the French Amber (Farm Le Quesnoy, Oise, France), lowermost Eocene. A. Habitus in lateral view. B. Part of the left fore wing. C. Part of the right fore wing.