Aphanostephanus 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 † Aphanostephanus Ge and Tan gen. nov.

Type species.

† Electrostephanus janzeni Engel, 2005.

Diagnosis.

Head globose, compound eyes comparatively small, occupying less than half portion of lateral surface. Pronotum elongated with neck differentiated. Forewing with vein 2Rs+M rather short, directly connecting to veins 2-Rs and apical abscissa of vein M without incisions; vein 2Cua pigmented and vein 2Cub absent. Metasoma with tergum I and sternum I not fused laterally, tergite I short and robust, about as long as tergite II. Ovipositor almost as long as body length.

Etymology.

From “Aphanes” (Greek for “vague”) and the generic name Stephanus Jurine. The name refers to the puzzling position of the genus within a family. The gender of the name is masculine.

Remarks.

In the original description by Engel (2005), the type species was indicated to be similar to † Neurastephanus neovenatus comb. nov. which is a species here considered to belong to † Lagenostephaninae subf. nov. However, it differs from † N. neovenatus in having vein 1-M straight; vein 2Rs + M short, directly connected to vein 2-Rs, and the apical abscissa of vein M. In addition, the paratype female also showed its ovipositor sheath about as long as the body length (in † Lagenostephaninae as long as the metasoma). Combining our phylogenetic results, this taxa showed its lineage sister to † Lagenostephaninae + Schlettereriinae , however, there is no synapomorphies or characteristics with significant evolutionary significance that can define it as a distinct group; thus, we prudently treated the genus as incertae sedis in the Stephanidae .