The first xiphydriid wood wasp in Cretaceous amber (Hymenoptera: Xiphydriidae) and a potential association with Cycadales
<p>A new genus and species of fossil wood wasp is described and figured from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, representing the first occurrence of the family Xiphydriidae in the fossil record. <i>Paraxiphydria resinata</i> gen. et sp. nov. exhibits typical apomorphies of the family inc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Fossil Record |
| Online Access: | https://fr.copernicus.org/articles/24/445/2022/fr-24-445-2022.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>A new genus and species of fossil wood wasp is described
and figured from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, representing the first
occurrence of the family Xiphydriidae in the fossil record. <i>Paraxiphydria resinata</i> gen. et
sp. nov. exhibits typical apomorphies of the family including a generally
cylindrical body, elongate neck and dome-shaped head. Nonetheless, owing to
a unique combination of traits including features hitherto unknown among
species of the family, the genus is classified within a separate subfamily,
Paraxiphydriinae subfam. nov. A key is presented to the
suprageneric groups of Xiphydriidae. The newly described species is the
first fossil xiphydriid wood wasp, extends the occurrence of Xiphydriidae
into the mid-Cretaceous and adds to the known diversity of features in the
family. Lastly, the simplification of wing venation and hypotheses of
host-plant affiliations of early xiphydriids are discussed. We evaluate
pollen associated with the wasp, assign it to the genus <i>Cycadopites</i> and conclude
that an affiliation to the Cycadales is most likely. Article and nomenclatural acts are registered in ZooBank (<span class="uri">http://zoobank.org/</span>, last access: 15 December 2021), with the following life science identifier (LSID) (reference): urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DA80920E-E94B-4A8E-A817-077FA7BD7D69.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 2193-0066 2193-0074 |