Prolyda elegantula, Wang, Chen, Shih, Chungkun, Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P. & Wang, Mei, 2016

Wang, Chen, Shih, Chungkun, Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P. & Wang, Mei, 2016, Two new species of Prolyda from the Middle Jurassic of China (Hymenoptera, Pamphilioidea), ZooKeys 569, pp. 71-80 : 74-76

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Xyelydidae

Prolyda elegantula sp. n. Fig. 3

Diagnosis.

In addition to generic diagnosis, SC1 almost as long as SC2; 1-M long, about 0.8 times as long as RS+M; 2r-m well postfurcal; 1r-rs proclival and half as long as 2r-rs; 3r-m near apex of cell 3r, separated from apex of cell 3r by half of its length; cell 3rm widening towards apex; 2m-cu distal to middle of cell 3rm.

Measurements

(in mm). Body length (excluding antenna) 12, head length including mandible 2.36, width 2.88, forewing length up to the end of cell 3r 7.02, hind wing length up to the end of cell r 4.8.

Description.

Color not reliably known because of absence of counterpart (Fig. 3A). As preserved, body infuscated with part of head, mesonotum and abdomen paler than pterostigma.

Head massive and wide (Fig. 3B), about 1.5 times as wide as mesonotum, 1.73 times as wide as long (excluding mandibles); eyes oval, extending forward to mandible base, 1.6 times as long as wide, with three ocelli forming obtuse triangle; anterior clypeal margin slightly wavy; mandible (Fig. 3C) sickle-shaped, bent, almost reaching opposite side of head when closed, with long, strong apical tooth and short subapical one, almost at midlength of mandible.

Prothorax with propleura large and rectangular; as wide as mesoprescutum; mesonotum with median mesoscutellar sulcus and notauli present, mesoprescutum large, 0.4 times as long as mesonotum and 1.5 times as long as mesoscutellum; metanotum with metascutellum almost circular and metapostnotum rectangular, about 3.3 times as long as wide. Femora wide, fusiform and strong; hind femur about twice as wide as fore femur, and twice as wide as hind tibia; tibia covered with thick bristles (Fig. 3D).

Abdomen without tergum split, wider than mesonotum; abdominal segments narrow, and parallel-sided; anterior margin of the first segment incurved. Genitalia not preserved.

Forewing (Fig. 3E) pterostigma completely sclerotized; SC located at middle of cell C, with two branches, anterior and posterior branches of almost equal length, posterior one oblique, parallel to 1-RS and of same length; R distinctly angular at RS base; 1-RS proclival, about 0.45 times as long as 1-M; 1-M subvertical to RS+M, and 0.83 times as long as RS+M; 1r-rs short and oblique, half as long as 2r-rs, with RS arching posteriorly between them; M+Cu curved; 1-Cu as long as RS+M; 2r-m separated from 2r-rs by 0.37 times its own length, located distal to middle of cell 2mcu; 3r-m separated from apex of cell 3r by half its length, 1.4 times as long as 2r-m; 1m-cu short, 0.45 times and 0.2 times as long as 2-Cu and 3-Cu, respectively; 1cu-a bent distinctly towards wing apex, 0.83 times as long as 2-Cu, distal to middle of cell 1mcu; 1-Cu 1.63 times as long as 2-Cu; 2m-cu oblique towards wing base and straight, distal to middle of cell 3rm, cell 3rm widening towards apex; cell 1mcu 1.48 times as long as wide, 0.73 times as long as cell 2rm; cell 2rm almost as long as 3rm, and 0.66 times as long as and 0.54 times as wide as, cell 2mcu, cell 3r twice as long as 2r.

Material examined.

Holotype, No. CNU-HYM-NN-2012148.

Distribution.

Jiulongshan Formation; Daohugou Village, Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China (41°18.979'N, 119°14.318'E); latest Middle Jurassic of the Bathonian-Callovian boundary.

Etymology.

The species epithet is derived from the Latin word “elegantulus”, meaning graceful, referring to the habitus of this well preserved specimen.