Cretevania soplaensis

Fuente, Ricardo Pérez-De La, Peñalver, Enrique & Ortega-Blanco, Jaime, 2012, A new species of the diverse Cretaceous genus Cretevania Rasnitsyn, 1975 (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) from Spanish amber, Zootaxa 3514, pp. 70-78 : 72

Cretevania soplaensis Pérez-de la Fuente, Peñalver & Ortega-Blanco, nov. sp.

( Figs 1−3 )

Holotype. CES 364.2, housed at the Institutional Collection from the El Soplao amber outcrop located in the laboratory of the El Soplao Cave, Celis, Cantabria ( Spain). The amber piece is 16 x 9 x 6 mm in size embedded into an epoxy prism of 23 x 15 x 6 mm. The specimen is incomplete, lacking half of the head, part of the left forewing, one hind wing, and the ventral half of the mesosoma including all the legs. The metasoma is very well preserved. The specimen is infested by fungal mycelia. The following syninclusions are preserved together with the holotype: the mesoraphidiid Amarantoraphidia ventolina Pérez-de la Fuente et al., 2012 (Pérez-de la Fuente et al. 2012), three hymenopterans, four dipterans (one chimeromyiid among them), one thysanopteran, a few fusinite fragments, and a few timber debris, as well as other indeterminate organic remains. This assemblage of syninclusions lacks deformation due to tectonic processes.

Diagnosis (male) [See Table 1 for character comparison]. Small Cretevania species distinguished from the other species within the genus by a flagellum broader distally, a petiole 7.2 times longer than wide, and the following combination of forewing characters: (1) pterostigma 3 times longer than wide, (2) first submarginal cell ca. 4 times longer than wide, (3) vein 2RS nearly straight (i.e., not convex subbasally), (4) first marginal cell 2 times longer than wide at base, (5) 1CU with the same length than 1m-cu, (6) 1r-rs straight (i.e., not concave), arising near the pterostigma apex, (7) vein rs-m spectral, (8) track of rs-m nearly continuous with 1r-rs (slightly distal), (9) vein 2M nearly straight (i.e., not concave subbasally), (10) vein 2CU+3CU steeply changing its slope distally, (11) vein 2cu-a strongly angled towards wing base and track not continuous with 1m-cu, and (12) wing apex rounded (i.e., not pointed).

Etymology. Named after El Soplao, the name of the amber-bearing locality where the holotype was found.

Description (male). Estimated length 3.00 mm. Head antero-posteriorly compressed in lateral view, 0.58 long, 0.28 high, width not measurable. Mandible not preserved. Preserved labial or maxillary palpomere 0.12 mm long. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres; flagellum 0.78 mm long, broader distally, cylindrical in section ( Fig. 2 ). Scape apparently elongate, not measurable. Pedicel with a constant width along all its length, 0.07 mm long, 0.04 mm wide, as long as flagellomere I. Flagellomeres I and II similar in length, flagellomere XI acuminate distally and slightly longer than preceding flagellomeres.

Mesosoma features largely obscured. Propodeum with large polygonal reticulated sculpture. Wings hyaline, with abundant microtrichia. Forewing features, apart of the above diagnosed, are as follows ( Fig. 1 ). Greatest width ca. 0.66 mm. Wing veins 2M, 3M, and 2CU+3CU tubular. Vein 2CU+3CU extending to wing margin and arising directly from 1CU. Pterostigma 0.18 mm long, 0.06 mm wide, parallel-sided. Vein 3RS+4RS straight. Vein 1RS not conspicuous, likely nebulous. First discal cell nearly squared. Vein 1m-cu aligned with 2RS. Vein 2m-cu absent. Vein 1CU almost straight. Most part of the hind wings obscured. Legs not preserved due to incompleteness of the amber piece.

Metasoma completely preserved. Petiole elongate within Cretevania (see Table 1 ), 7.2 times longer than wide, slightly flattened laterally, with abundant short setae, 0.94 mm long, 0.13 mm at greatest width, with tergum and sternum fused, and with distal part expanded ventrally presenting a clear hump in the ventral surface ( Figs 2 , 3 B). Gaster globe-shaped (spheroid), 1.26 mm long, 0.43 mm wide distally, and ca. 0.60 mm high distally, with abundant short setae ( Fig. 2 ). A distal pair of short, ovoid, setose, exposed sclerites (appendages?) are present, which could correspond to male genitalia (absence of any structure resembling an ovipositor).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Camera lucida drawings of the forewings of the Spanish Cretevania species, including that of C. soplaensis nov. sp., holotype CES 364.2, from El Soplao amber, and geographical occurrences of the genus in the Spanish Albian. Basal portion of the forewing of C. soplaensis obscured. Previously described forewings from Peñalver et al. (2010). Scale bar = 1 mm. All the wings are to the same scale.

FIGURE 2. Camera lucida drawings of Cretevania soplaensis nov. sp., holotype CES 364.2, from El Soplao amber. Habitus in antero-lateral view showing the only preserved antenna and the metasoma, plus the metasoma in dorsal and latero-ventral views showing the distal hump in the ventral surface of the petiole. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Photomicrographs of Cretevania soplaensis nov. sp., holotype CES 364.2, from El Soplao amber. A, amber piece containing the holotype (arrow) and other syninclusions as the mesoraphidiid Alavaraphidia ventolina Pérez-de la Fuente et al., 2012; B, detail of the holotype in latero-ventral view (inset showing enlargement of the distal hump in the ventral surface of the petiole); C, holotype in antero-lateral view showing the complete left antenna (arrow); D, petiole and gaster in dorsal view; E, visible portion of forewing (this image was made with two consecutive pictures taken at different focal planes); F, detail of the forewing showing the spectral vein rs-m (arrow). Scale bars: A = 2 mm, B, C = 1 mm, D, E = 0.5 mm, F = 0.2 mm.