Pantolyta similis, Brazidec & Vilhelmsen, 2022

Brazidec, Manuel & Vilhelmsen, Lars, 2022, New species of belytine and diapriine wasps (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) from Eocene Baltic amber, European Journal of Taxonomy 813, pp. 57-86 : 73-76

Pantolyta similis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1E2F7650-238A-4AC8-9900-38A6B9DFB59F

Fig. 5D–E , Table 1

Diagnosis

Head as high as long; eye small but functional; antennal shelf projecting forward and upward; antenna with homogeneous short setae; pedicel conical, with base narrower; F1 second longest; F2–F13 gradually widening; F13 longest and widest ( Fig. 5D ); epomia absent; median propodeal keel simple ( Fig. 5E ); fore wing not extending beyond petiole (brachypterous morph); petiole 1.3 times as long as wide; gaster fusiform, elongate; T2 and S2 covering anterior half of gaster; T2 with numerous fine and long striations medially at junction with petiole ( Fig. 5D ).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to its similarity with the extant species Pantolyta macrocera (Thomson, 1858) and is to be treated as an adjective.

Type material

Holotype NHMD-608468 , a complete female.

Locality and horizon

Baltic amber is considered to be of Bartonian–Priabonian age, ca 34–38 Ma.

Description

Female

BODY. BL = 3.52 mm. Head glabrous, smooth, as high as long (HeL = 0.50 mm); eye round, small, less than a third of head length (ED = 0.18 mm); frontal prominence elongate; toruli facing upwards; antenna slightly but homogeneously pubescent; scape longer than head length; pedicel conical, thinner at base; F1 second longest; F2–F12 of subequal length, gradually widening; F12 as long as wide; F13 widest and longest, conical (antennomeres length, in mm: Sc- 0.58 mm; P-0.11; F1-0.17; F2-0.10; F3-0.10; F4- 0.11; F5-0.11; F6-0.11; F7-0.12; F8-0.11; F9-0.11; F10-0.11; F11-0.11; F12-0.12; F13-0.21); mandibles of ordinary form.

MESOSOMA. Shorter than metasoma (MsL = 1.10 mm); pronotum not elongate, with straight posterior margin, epomia absent; mesoscutum convex, with notauli deep and complete; anterior scutellar pit large, rounded; scutellum sub-quadrate, without posterior scutellar pits; propodeum dorsally with prominent plicae, median keel simple. Fore wing very reduced, hardly reaching posterior margin of petiole (FwL = 1.04 mm). Hind wing reduced, shorter than fore wing (HwL = 0.52 mm). Legs slender, with only hind coxa widened; erect setae along hind tibia and tarsomere; tibial spur formula 1-2-2; tarsal claws simple.

METASOMA. Petiole 1.3 times as long as wide (PtL = 0.28 mm; PtW = 0.22 mm), longitudinally ribbed; gaster fusiform and elongate (GL = 1.64 mm; GH = 0.59 mm); S2 and T2 longest, covering anterior half of gaster; T2 striated medially at junction with petiole; three ring-like segments visible posteriorly to large tergite; apical sternites fused into long, smooth triangle; ovipositor exerted, shorter than gaster (OL = 0.74 mm).

Male

Unknown

Comments

The specimen was originally identified as the extant species Pantolyta macrocera (Thomson, 1858) by Buhl (2002) because of the brachypterous morph. However, we can observe some differences on the petiole and gaster. Pantolyta similis sp. nov. displays numerous fine longitudinal ribs dorsally on the petiole whereas there are fewer ribs in P. macrocera . Additionally, P. macrocera has shorter and stronger medial striations on T2 than Pantolyla similis ( Chemyreva & Kolyada 2021: fig. 11g).

Among the Baltic amber species, it differs from other Pantolyta species as follows: P. antiqua and P. somnulenta are macropterous and have a shorter petiole; Pantolyta augustinusii sp. nov. has the epomia present, whereas it is absent in Pantolyta similis sp. nov.; Pantolyta chemyrevae sp. nov. has the epomia present, the anterior scutellar pit more quadrate, the petiole more elongate and the striations on T2 shorter; P. janzeni and P. perrichoti has a longer petiole, more than two times as long as wide.

Figures

Fig. 5. A–C. Pantolyta chemyrevae sp. nov., holotype (NHMD-608448). A. Habitus in dorsolateral view. B. Head and mesosoma in dorsal view. C. Petiole in lateral view. D–E. Pantolyta similis sp. nov., holotype (NHMD-608468). D. Habitus in lateral view. E. Mesosoma, petiole and anterior gaster in dorsal view. F–H. Basalys villumi sp. nov., holotype (NHMD-608360). F. Habitus in lateral view. G. Head in lateral view. H. Head and mesosoma in dorsal view. Abbreviations: asp = anterior scutellar pit; fe = flagellomere emargination; mpk = median propodeal keel. Scale bars: A, D, F = 1 mm; B, E, G–H = 0.5 mm; C = 0.25 mm.