Proterosceliopsis Ortega-Blanco, McKellar & Engel, 2014

Talamas, Elijah J., Johnson, Norman F., Shih, Chungkun & Ren, Dong, 2019, Proterosceliopsidae: A new family of Platygastroidea from Cretaceous amber, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 73, pp. 3-38 : 3

Proterosceliopsis Ortega-Blanco, McKellar & Engel

Proterosceliopsis Ortega-Blanco, McKellar & Engel, 2014: 554 (original description. Type: Proterosceliopsis masneri Ortega-Blanco, McKellar & Engel, by monotypy and original designation. Diagnosis); Talamas et al. 2017a: 251, 253 (description, keyed).

Diagnosis.

See family diagnosis.

Description.

Head: Facial striae: absent. Malar sulcus: present. Malar striae: absent. Orbital carina: absent. Setation of compound eye: absent. Torulus: opening anteriorly. Frontal ledge: absent. OOL: lateral ocellus separated from compound eye by less than one ocellar diameter. Macrosculpture of head: absent. Hyperoccipital carina: absent. Occipital carina: present, continuous dorsally and ventrally extending to posterior articulation of the mandible.

Mesosoma: Propleural epicoxal sulcus: absent. Posterolateral corner of propleuron: strongly pointed. Pronotal cervical sulcus: furrow of dense fine setae. Epomial carina: absent. Transverse pronotal carina: absent. Antero-admedian lines: absent. Macrosculpture of mesosoma: absent. Orientation of notauli: converging posteriorly. Mesoscutal humeral sulcus: indicated by smooth furrow. Posterior mesoscutellar sulcus: foveate. Sculpture of metanotal trough: foveate. Metascutellum: undifferentiated from metanotal trough. Ventral mesopleural furrow: present. Ventral mesopleural carina: present. Mesopleural carina: absent. Anterior mesepisternal area: absent. Episternal foveae: absent. Transepisternal line: present. Mesopleural pit: absent. Prespecular sulcus: absent. Mesepimeral sulcus: present. Metapleural carina: present. Ventral metapleural area: convex and without macrosculpture. Dorsal metapleural area: convex and without macrosculpture. Ventral surface of metapleuron: setose. Sculpture of dorsal propodeum: coarsely rugose. Setal patch on anterodorsal surface of hind coxa: present.

Fore Wing: submarginal (Sc+R), marginal (C+R), postmarginal (R1) and stigmal vein (r) present; C extending proximally past bulla; 1Rs short and nebulous; 2Rs sclerotized and extending to wing margin. Basal vein (Rs+M) and M+Cu nebulous to weakly sclerotized. Median vein (M) present as a nebulous line in distal portion of the wing; tibial spur formula: 1-2-2.

Metasoma: T1-T5 with depressions anteriorly (unclear in P. masneri ); S1-S5 with depressions anteriorly; 6-7 visible tergites when ovipositor not extruded. T7+T8 extruded with ovipositor system (based on P. ambulata ).

Distribution.

The presence of Proterosceliopsis in Burmese and Álava (Spain) amber indicates that this was a widespread genus.

Comments.

Our generic description of Proterosceliopsis is based largely on specimens from Burmese amber, which provide far greater detail than the original description, and the two descriptions are congruent as far as can be observed. However, it should be noted that depressions along the anterior margin of the metasomal tergites in Proterosceliopsis masneri are not mentioned or illustrated in Ortega-Blanco et al. (2014). In their photographs of the dorsal habitus ( Fig. 6A-B ) it is unclear if these depressions are present. In cases where exudate is absent, photography of these depressions can be difficult, particularly in darkly colored specimens and when the amber is turbid.

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. 1 Sceliomorpha Ashmead (DPI _ FSCA 00008723), female antenna, ventral view 2 Electroteleia (DPI _ FSCA 00010129), female antenna, ventral view 3 Proterosceliopsis plurima (CNU-HYM-MA- 2016102), female antenna, ventral view 4 Nixonia watshami Johnson & Masner (OSUC 149432), female antenna, ventral view 5 Proterosceliopsis nigon (CNU-HYM-MA- 2017566), female antenna, ventral view. 6 Proterosceliopsis wingerathi (CNU-HYM-MA- 2016101), female antenna, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.