Zapenesia, ENGEL & GRIMALDI, 2007

ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & GRIMALDI, DAVID A., 2007, Cretaceous Scolebythidae and Phylogeny of the Family (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), American Museum Novitates 3568 (1), pp. 1-16 : 5-7

Zapenesia , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Zapenesia libanica , new species .

DIAGNOSIS: Small wasps (between 2 and 3 mm in total body length). Head elongate; frontal prominence absent; clypeal apex straight; malar space more than one-half basal mandibular width; face lateral to antennal torulus gently depressed; compound eyes relatively small, length only slightly more than distance from upper tangent of compound eyes to preoccipital ridge; inner margins of compound eyes parallel; ocelli far behind upper tangent of compound eyes, arranged in an equilateral triangle; occipital carina absent; pronotal collar absent, dorsal surface of pronotum shortened, at most 0.5 times as long as mesoscutum; propleura well developed, anteriorly forming a short neck; notauli faintly impressed but present and complete; prosternum large, exposed, broadly triangular posteriorly; parapsidal lines absent; mesoscutum separated from mesoscutellum by transverse furrow, furrow arching anteriorly medially; metanotum short; metapostnotum evident; forewing with open marginal cell; Rs long, much longer than pterostigma, terminating near anterior wing margin, tubular over entire length; R 1 absent beyond pterostigmal apex; pterostigma of relatively moderate size, margin within marginal cell convex; 1m-cu absent; Rs+M nebulous; Cu distad separation from M nebulous; no submarginal cells (only costal, radial, and first cubital cells closed); metafemur not flattened; tibial spur formula 1-2-2; pretarsal claws simple; sixth metasomal sternum without specialized polished area.

ETYMOLOGY: The genus-group name is a combination of za (Greek, ‘‘very’’) and Apenesia (the genus of bethylid wasps that the first fossil scolebythid, i.e., P. primaeva , was believed to be ancestral to). The name is feminine.

COMMENTS: While the Early Cretaceous genera such as Libanobythus and Uliobythus are reminiscent in habitus of the Cenozoic Pristapenesia , Zapenesia and Boreobythus have the typical habitus of a generalized chrysidoid. Zapenesia is apparently more derived than Boreobythus as evidenced by the reduced pronotal dorsal surface and the reduced wing venation.