Stolamissus Liu and Engel, 2007

LIU, ZHIWEI, ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & GRIMALDI, DAVID A., 2007, Phylogeny and Geological History of the Cynipoid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea), American Museum Novitates 3583, pp. 1-48 : 7-10

Stolamissus Liu and Engel , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Stolamissus mirabilis Liu and Engel , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: As for the family (see above).

ETYMOLOGY: The new genus-group name is derived from the Latin stolo (meaning ‘‘branch’’) and amissus (meaning ‘‘lost’’), which together mean ‘‘lost branch’’ (a reference to the fact that this clade was lost via extinction within Cynipoidea ). The name is masculine.

COMMENTS: The genus has several of the symplesiomorphies that are shared among the macrocynipoids, including marginal cell of forewing relatively long and anteriorly closed, no bulla in Sc+R 1, remnant of pterostigma short and thick, and second metasomal tergum (5 third abdominal tergum) large with succeeding abdominal terga narrow. In addition, the pronotum is distinctly raised dorsoanteriorly, a condition similar to that of Ibaliidae and Liopteridae , and the well-developed lateral pronotal carina resembles that of the liopterids. On the other hand, it appears that the mesocoxae are inserted vertically downward, a feature shared by the microcynipoids, but not obliquely on a ventrally protruding, separate, and oblique posterior area as in the macrocynipoids. The mesopectus appears not to protrude ventrally, a feature considered a synapomorphy for the microcynipoids ( Ronquist, 1995a, 1999); however, we are somewhat cautious about this observation because of the presence of a bubble laterally above the mesopectal area, and our interpretation of this feature may be in error.

Stolamissus mirabilis Liu and Engel , new species figures 3 , 4

Cynipidae sp.: Grimaldi et al., 2000: 73 [figured].

DESCRIPTION: Female. Body length 0.8 mm; forewing length 0.7 mm. Body entirely black; antennae and legs dark brown; wings hyaline, without any macula or band. Antenna 14-segmented; flagellum distinctly expanded toward apex; scape and pedicel subequal in both length and thickness, slightly longer and much wider than F1; F1 distinctly longer than F2; apical and subapical flagellomeres somewhat fused with each other, other flagellomeres subequal to F1; elongate placodeal sensilla distinctly present on F8–12. Frons, vertex, and gena glabrous; median frontal carina absent; gena not expanded behind compound eye; length of compound eye about three times as long as malar space. Anterior plate of pronotum with dense punctures and posteriorly delimited by prominent lateral pronotal carinae; lateral surfaces of pronotum irregularly carinate in lower part and narrowly bridged medially. Mesoscutum transversely costate; median impression present in posteri- or two-thirds; notauli percurrent and prominent; mesoscutellar foveae transverse; mesoscutellum posteriorly sloped and without process; mesopleuron mostly glabrate, ventrally depressed along lower margin; median impression and lateroventral carina absent; mesopectus not distinctly protruding ventrally, mesocoxa directed vertically downward and not inserted on separate, oblique posterior area (the mesopectal area is partly obscured by a large bubble and therefore our interpretation of the condition should be considered tentative). Propodeum devoid of processes. Wings hyaline, surface covered with appressed setae, margins ciliate. Forewing with marginal cell closed, slightly more than twice as long as wide; bulla in Sc+R 1 absent, 2r-rs oblique, sloping outward posteriorly; areolet present; Rs+M arising from about middle of first free abscissa of M (5 basal vein). Mesofemur expanded dorsoventrally; first metatarsomere much shorter than combined length of second through fifth metatarsomeres; metapretarsal claw with basal lobe. Metasoma not distinctly compressed; metasomal T2 (5 third abdominal tergum) relatively large, about one-third length of postpetiolar metasoma; metasomal T3–7 dorsally subequal. Male. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: Female, AMNH NJ-709, Late Cretaceous (Turonian), White Oak Pit , Sayreville , Middlesex County, New Jersey, coll. AMNH expedition, 1996; deposited in the Amber Fossil Collection , Division of Invertebrate Zoology , AMNH.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is the Latin word mirabilis , meaning ‘‘beautiful and good-looking’’.

FAMILY LIOPTERIDAE ASHMEAD

DIAGNOSIS: Ronquist (1995a) recently revised the family and suggested the following characters as apomorphies: lateral surface of pronotum and dorsal surface of mesoscutellum foveate; acetabulum more or less vertical, divided into two furrows for procoxa by a strong median keel; acetabular carina describing a v- shape; metapleural sulcus reaching anterior metapectal margin far above the midheight; intermetacoxal processes present; lateral pronotal carina reaching the raised ventral pronotal margin; laterodorsal process of mesoscutellum present; lateroventral carina of mesopectus present; nucha long; metatibia shorter than metafemur; petiolar annulus complete, tergal and sternal parts fused completely; occipital carina present; and mesopleural impression present.

COMMENTS: Where known, extant Liopteridae are parasitoids of wood-boring beetles of families such as Buprestidae , Cerambycidae , and Curculionidae ( Ronquist, 1995a; Liu et al., 2007). The genera of Liopteridae were revised by Ronquist (1995a) and an analysis of their relationships was undertaken. The genera of the family are presently segregated into four subfamilies: the Liopterinae (New World) and Oberthuerellinae (African) are sisters, with Dallatorrellinae (Asian and Australian) as sister to them, and the Mayrellinae (cosmopolitan except the Australian region) basal.

According to our cladistic analyses the new fossil genus Proliopteron is basal to a clade consisting of all other Liopteridae (see below). In addition, the genus Goerania , described below, obviously belongs to the clade consisting of the subfamilies Oberthuerellinae + Liopterinae , although we have decided not to include it in the cladistic analysis owing to the limited number of observable characters. Both genera are characterized by an array of distinct features and therefore we herein erect two new subfamilies, as Proliopterinae and Goeraniinae , to accommodate them.

Proliopterinae Liu and Engel , new subfamily

TYPE GENUS: Proliopteron Liu and Engel , new genus.

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (see below).

Figures

Fig. 3. Photomicrograph of holotype female of Stolamissus mirabilis Liu and Engel, new genus and species (NJ-709).

Fig. 4. Holotype female of Stolamissus mirabilis Liu and Engel, new genus and species (NJ-709).