Archaeohelorus polyneurus, Shi, Xiaoqing, Zhao, Yunyun, Shih, Chungkun & Ren, Dong, 2014

Shi, Xiaoqing, Zhao, Yunyun, Shih, Chungkun & Ren, Dong, 2014, Two new species of Archaeohelorus (Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea, Heloridae) from the Middle Jurassic of China, ZooKeys 369, pp. 49-59 : 50-53

Archaeohelorus polyneurus sp. n. Figures 1, 2

Etymology.

The specific nameis from Greek word “polyneurus”, means "many veins", referring to the complete venation of the hind wing preserved.

Type material.

Holotype, CNU-HYM-NN2012052, dorsal view, gender unknown. A well-preserved body with almost complete forewings and hind wings and part of legs, but head missing. Paratype: CNU-HY-NN2008010, dorsal view, a well-preserved almost complete body with forewings and right hind wing and part of legs, previously mis-identified as a paratype of Archaeohelorus hoi .

Locality and age.

Jiulongshan Formation, Middle Jurassic, Daohugou Village, Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China.

Diagnosis.

In forewing, 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point and cell r obtuse-angled triangular (vs. approximately right-angled triangular in Archaeohelorus hoi ). Hind wing with Sc+R confluent with C and extended to costal margin, R developed. M+Cu distinct and forking at the basal part, M and Cu robust.

Remarks.

Upon further examination, we found that a paratype of Archaeohelorus hoi , CNU-HYM-NN2008010, has forewing 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point and cell r obtuse-angled triangular (vs. approximately right-angled triangular in Archaeohelorus hoi ); and hind wing with tubular vein C parallel with Sc+R at base, M+Cu robust and forking at the basal section, M long, 1-Cu, 2-Cu distinct. These venational characters are consistent with the diagnostic characters of Archaeohelorus polyneurus sp. n., hence we transfer CNU-HYM-NN2008010 as a paratype of Archaeohelorus polyneurus sp. n.

Description of holotype.

A medium-sized body with both forewings and hind wings well-preserved, but, without head (Fig. 1). Forewing broad. Mesosoma suboval, nearly 1.35 times as long as wide; mesoscutum trapezoidal with notauli distinct and concave; tegula triangular; scutellum broad with two rows of pits; metanotum relatively wide with plenty of pits; propodeum transverse, 2.89 times as broad as long.

Metasoma suboval with six segments; first metasomal segment transverse, second segment with several longitudinal ridges; third and fourth segments trapezoidal with shorter longitudinal ridges anteriorly; other ones smooth; the end of terminal segment not preserved.

Forewing broad and subtriangular. Pterostigma long and acute apically, not widened beyond mid-length. C robust and extending to apex of forewing. 2r-rs arising from basal one third of pterostigma, slightly oblique apicad, slightly longer than pterostigmal width. R robust, cell r obtuse-angled triangular and closed by R, M+Cu, 1-Rs and 1-M; Rs straight and intersecting with distal part of C. Cell 1+2r six-sided and surrounded by R, 1-Rs, 1-Rs+M, 2-Rs+M, 2-Rs, and 2r-rs. M+Cu straight and distinct; M and Cu distinct, M straight, Cu break after 1m-cu. 1-Rs as long as 1-M and slightly inclined toward wing base. Cell 1mcu small and subtriangular. M and Rs branching at 30% from 1m-cu of the length between 1m-cu and 2r-rs. 1cu-a and 2cu-a distinct and reaching A. 1cu-a in line with 1-M; and 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point.

Hind wing with tubular veins C parallel with Sc+R at base; R developed and Rs preserved; M+Cu robust and forking at the basal section, M and 1-Cu long and distinct, 2-Cu long.

Right foreleg with only coxa and femur partially preserved. Right midleg with partial trochanter, spindle-shaped femur and partial tibia preserved. Right hindleg with partial coxa, trochanter trapezoidal and small, robust spindle-shaped femur, long tibia swollen distally with spurs, tarsi with five segments, basitarsus longest and two claws fixing the end of pretarsus.

Measurements (in mm). Mesosoma length 3.36, width 2.48; metasoma> 3.38 long; lengths of the first to fifth metasomal segments are 0.34, 0.51, 0.72, 0.94, and 0.55; forewing length 6.52, width> 3.05.

Description of paratype.

Body medium-sized (Fig. 2). Head oval and antennae filiform and thick, scape swollen and bell-shaped, only first and second flagellomeres preserved. Mesosoma, forewing and metasoma same as holotype, the end of terminal segment not preserved. Hind wing with tubular vein C parallel with Sc+R at base, M+Cu robust and forking at the basal section, M long, 1-Cu, 2-Cu distinct. Left foreleg and right midleg with only coxa and femur partially preserved. Left midleg with femur robust and tibia long, left hindleg with femur robust and spindle-shaped, long tibia swollen distally. Right hindleg with femur robust and spindle-shaped, tibia partially preserved.

Measurements (in mm). Body length> 14.6; head length 1.89, width 1.53; mesosoma length 3.58, width 2.52; metasoma length 3.68; forewing length> 6.54, width> 2.88.

Comparison.

This species can be assigned to Archaeohelorus Shih, Feng & Ren, 2011 by its metasoma with six segments and the first segment narrow and transverse. Forewing 1-Rs as long as 1-M. Cell 1mcu small and subtriangular, 1cu-a in line with 1-M; and 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point. Compared with Archaeohelorus hoi , Archaeohelorus polyneurus has preserved hind wing with Sc+R confluent with C and extended to costal margin, R developed. M+Cu distinct and forking at the basal part, M and Cu robust; in forewing, cell r obtuse-angled triangular (vs. approximately right-angled triangular in Archaeohelorus hoi ). Besides, Archaeohelorus polyneurus has a much larger body size than Archaeohelorus hoi , length of forewing 6.52 mm or> 6.54 mm (vs. 3.17 mm in Archaeohelorus hoi ).