Pappous trichomatius, Viertler & Klopfstein & Jouault & Spasojevic, 2022

Viertler, Alexandra, Klopfstein, Seraina, Jouault, Corentin & Spasojevic, Tamara, 2022, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in Lower Eocene amber from the Paris basin, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 89, pp. 19-45 : 19

Pappous trichomatius sp. nov.

Figs 3 , 4

Etymology.

A combination of the two Greek words trichotos (hairy) and matius (matia for eyes), describing the short but regularly spaced setae on the fossil’s eyes.

Material examined.

France • Holotype male?; Oise department, region of Creil, Chevrière, Le Quesnoy; 49°20'06.0"N, 2°40'28.9"E; 1998-2000; G. De Ploëg and A. Nel leg.; in amber; MNHN.F. A71346 (PA-349).

Type condition.

Fossil not complete and partially hidden by an insect inclusion, probably a Trichoptera . Head complete, but partially hidden behind other inclusion. Pronotum and metapleuron partially hidden by wings. Mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum broken off. Propodeum and T1 well preserved. Legs mostly hidden. Dorsally broken after T2, ventrally after S6, but otherwise well preserved. Lateral view of T1-T4 partially visible on one side.

Diagnosis.

See genus diagnosis.

Description.

Body at least 5.6 mm (measured from head to T1, added length of T2-T5 in segments), estimated length about 6.1 mm. Colour and colour patterns not interpretable, because of dark orange colour of amber.

Head. Mandibles rather long and overlapping; seem unidentate or second tooth twisted and mandibles bidentate; outer surface sparsely pubescent. Malar space about 0.9-1.2 × mandibular width. Labrum concealed below clypeus. Clypeus convex, weakly separated from face; apical margin simple. Anterior tentorial pits distinct. Face rather flat with weak median swelling. Eyes in profile about 0.8 × height of head, with short but dense setae. Modifications between antennal sockets unclear. Frons without impressions. Ocelli of normal size, separated from eyes by more than their diameter. Vertex seems moderately long and rather flat. Occipital carina seems complete. Palps not visible. Scape longer than wide; truncation rather straight, forming an angle of 10°; without extended membranous area. Pedicle smaller than scape. Flagellum 4 mm long, with 23 segments, evenly thick throughout whole length; most flagellomeres about 1.5 × as long as wide; first flagellomere 2.9 × as long as wide; tip of last flagellomere unmodified.

Mesosoma. Propleuron not visible. Pronotum about 0.6-0.7 × as long as high; epomia indiscernible; without modification at base of notaulus. Mesosternum with epicnemial carina partially visible ventrally, seems simple behind fore coxae; posterior transverse carina of mesosternum not discernible. Small lobe in lower hind corner of mesopleuron with two short extensions; mesopleuron rather short and flat, with sternaulus anteriorly visible, appears weak. Mesoscutum mostly broken off, difficult to interpret, with notauli deeply impressed. Scutellum not visible and metanotum rather short and flat. Metapleuron seems slightly higher than long or just about as long as high. Submetapleural carina complete with a small lobe on anterior part. Juxtacoxal carina very strong. Pleural carina distinct on whole length. Propodeum in profile seems evenly rounded and slightly shorter than high or similar in length as in height; sculpture seems smooth with very weak rugae occasionally; carination complete, with latero-median and lateral longitudinal, anterior and posterior transverse carinae present, latter two carinae angled; area superomedia wider than long, area petiolaris with an additional median longitudinal carina. Posterolateral angle evenly rounded. No modifications on junctions of propodeal carinae or surface. Spiracle subcircular. Hind margin of propodeum simple. Metacoxal cavity seems to begin slightly above ventral end of metasomal foramen magnum. Legs simple, fore tibia seems simple to slightly enlarged, with two spurs. Mid coxa simply convex, mid tibia with two spurs. Hind coxa evenly rounded, seems as long as wide. Hind femur and tibia simple, tibia evenly tapered. Inner side of hind tibia not visible. Claws indiscernible.

Wings. Fore wing 5.4 mm. Areolet closed, quadrate-oblique, 3rs-m with one bulla and same length as 2 + 3M, 4M extremely short. 2m-cu more or less evenly bowed outwards with two small bullae that cover together ~25% of total 2m-cu length. 4Cu about twice as long as 5Cu. 4Rs almost straight. Vein 1Rs + M about 1.5-2 × longer than with of surrounding veins. 1cu-a posterior to junction of M + Cu and 1M, with 1Cu as long as width of surrounding veins. Pterostigma 3.0 × as long as wide. Cell 2R1 2.9 × as long as wide. 5M tubular through whole length. 2Cu 0.7 × 1M + 1Rs and 0.8 × r-rs. 1m-cu & 2Rs + M angled. 3Cu slightly longer than 2cu-a. Hind wing with M + Cu complete, slightly curved on entire length. 1Cu about 0.6 × cu-a. 1Rs about 1.4 × rs-m.

Metasoma. Appears depressed, after T4 unclear. S1 seems either not ornamented or with a low rounded swelling and hind margin transverse to shallowly V-shaped. Apical fusion of S1 to T1 is unclear. Laterotergite 1 short and triangular, at least partly sclerotized. Glymma seems absent or weakly impressed. T1 subquadrate, evenly tapering to front in dorsal view; rather flat with weak median curve in profile; dorsal sculpture seems either smooth and impunctate or finely punctate. Dorso-lateral carina of T1 complete, above spiracle. Spiracle at around 0.6 × of T1. Latero-median carina of T1 parallel, reaching beyond middle of total length. T2 is transverse without latero-median carinae, appears simple, with shallow impression close to base; thyridium present but not sunken in gastrocoelus, seems either ovoid or transverse. Laterotergite 2 moderately broad, sclerotized, and between 0.25-0.4 × as wide as long, seems to have a shallow groove from base to spiracle. T2 and T3 separate. Laterotergites 3 and 4 appear separated by a crease.

Figures

Figure 3. Holotype of Pappous trichomatius sp. nov. A latero-ventral view of face with and without interpretative drawing B lateral view of eye with short and dense setae C fore wing D lateral view on propodeum and first tergite E dorsal view on propodeum and first tergite. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 4. Interpretative line drawing of Pappous trichomatius sp. nov. Dotted lines indicate uncertain interpretations. Photographs from different angles were used as templates to create a drawing of the whole specimen. Scale bar: 2 mm.