Neurastephanus Ge and Tan, 2023

Ge, Si-Xun, Jiang, Zhuo-Heng, Ren, Li-Li, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Tan, Jiang-Li, 2023, New insights into the phylogeny of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera: Apocrita), with a revision of the fossil species, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 819-844 : 819

Genus † Neurastephanus Ge and Tan gen. nov.

Type species.

† Electrostephanus neovenatus Aguiar and Janzen, 1999.

Etymology.

From “neura” (Latin for “vein”) and the generic name, Stephanus Jurine. The name refers to the peculiar venation of the type specimen. The gender of the name is masculine.

Diagnosis.

Pronotum elongated, transversely rugose dorsally. Pronotal fold weakly developed with neck differentiated. Hind coxa strong, spindle shaped with its largely part smooth and shiny without transversely striate. Hind tibia with its median part moderately depressed. Hind tarsi 5-segmented. Forewing with vein 1-Rs shorter than 1-M; vein 2Rs+M distinct and elongate, non-connecting to 2-Rs and apical abscissa of vein M. Pterostigma comparatively wide, obtuse apically; vein 2Cub absent; vein A incomplete, only up to 1cu-a. Tergite I with tergum I and sternum I not fused, about 0.9 x as long as tergite II.

Remarks.

Being a complex taxon that encompasses most Eocene crown wasps, the genus † Electrostephanus , presents challenges regarding its monophyly. van Achterberg (2002) claimed that the genus "is difficult to characterize and is mixed. Some species of the genus † Electrostephanus may belong to the subfamily Stephaninae ." Engel and Grimaldi (2004) separated the genus † Denaeostephanus from † Electrostephanus but Engel and Ortega-Blanco (2008) indicated that the remaining † Electrostephanus species are still heterogeneous in lineages, with † E. neovenatus being enigmatic. We found that the species † E. neovenatus ( Aguiar and Janzen, 1999) differed distinctly from all its congeners. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that it is reasonable to include this species in a new genus † Neurastephanus Ge and Tan, gen. nov. under the subfamily † Lagenostephaninae Ge and Tan, subf. nov. with only its type species † N. neovenatus ( Aguiar and Janzen, 1999) comb. nov.