Syntexinae Benson, 1935

Ortega-Blanco, J., Rasnitsyn, A. P. & Delclòs, X., 2008, First record of anaxyelid woodwasps (Hymenoptera: Anaxyelidae) in Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber, Zootaxa 1937, pp. 39-50 : 41-42

Subfamily Syntexinae Benson, 1935

Remarks: The family Anxyelidae is included in the Siricoidea [= Anaxyelidae + “ Gigasiricidae ” + Siricidae (sensu Grimaldi & Engel 2005) ; = Anaxyelidae + Protosiricidae + Daohugoidae + Siricidae + Xiphydriidae (sensu Rasnitsyn & Zhang 2004a, b, Rasnitsyn 2006)] and comprises four subfamilies: the Late Jurassic Anaxyelinae Martynov, 1925 , the Late Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous Kempendajinae Rasnitsyn, 1980 , the Lower Cretaceous Dolichostigmatinae, Rasnitsyn 1968 and the Lower Cretaceous – Recent Syntexinae Benson, 1935 . The palaeogeographical range of the family is extensive, specimens being known from Central Asia, England, Spain and Brazil. The Syntexinae includes three genera: the extant Syntexis Rohwer, 1915 and two Lower Cretaceous genera, Eosyntexis Rasnitsyn, 1990 (Neocomian of East Siberia, Berriasian of England and Barremian of Spain) and Cretosyntexis Rasnitsyn & Martínez-Delclòs, 2000 (Barremian of Spain) (see Fig. 5).

New diagnosis of Syntexinae . Pedicel as long as scape (known only for Syntexis and Eosyntexis parva n. sp.) ( Figs. 2G and 4B). Pronotum with dorsal face well developed and crossed by medial suture or impressed line ( Fig. 2C). Mesonotum with distinct transverse rugae (known for Syntexis and Cretosyntexis , although in E. parva similar rugae are present on the pronotum) ( Figs. 2A, C and 3E). Fore wing with SC completely lost, 1r-rs either longer than 2r-rs or lost. Hind wing with r-m placed near RS bending and with m-cu lost (known only for Syntexis and Eosyntexis senilis ).

Remarks. The Syntexinae show an important simplification and reduction of the wing venation ( Fig. 1): fore wing with SC completely lost, RS more or less straightened between cells 1mcu and 2r due to 1r-rs crossvein either long or lost, distal R and RS sometimes lost; hind wing when known with distal venation somewhat reduced, with r-m crossvein displaced basally and m-cu lost. Also the long pedicel, furrowed pronotum and mesonotum with marked sculpture distinguish Syntexinae from the three other subfamilies.