Protaphycus Simutnik, 2022

Simutnik, Serguei A., Perkovsky, Evgeny E. & Vasilenko, Dmitry V., 2022, Protaphycus shuvalikovi Simutnik gen. et sp. nov. (Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae, Encyrtinae) from Rovno amber, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 91, pp. 1-9 : 1

Genus Protaphycus Simutnik gen. nov.

Type species.

Protaphycus shuvalikovi Simutnik, sp. nov.

Species composition.

Type species only.

Etymology.

The new genus, probably, most closely related to the extant genus Aphycus . The genus name is a masculine noun.

Diagnosis.

Female. It is the smallest of the described fossil members of the family, 0.6 mm length. Habitus ‘encyrtiform’, body compact, squat, not flattened; frontovertex subquadrate; notaular lines present anteriorly; F1-F3 almost ring-like; forewings 2 × as long as broad, linea calva also unusually wide, entire; filum spinosum and covering setae (sensu Sharkov 1985) present; bare strip resembling a speculum runs alongside linea calva, basal to row of covering setae, below parastigma; parastigma distinctly swollen; marginal vein relatively long, longer than postmarginal, and about as long as stigmal vein; uncus well-developed; cerci located close to gastral apex; apex of hypopygium reaching way past apex of last gastral tergum (Fig. 2C : hyp, syn); ovipositor sheaths small, only slightly exserted, separated from hypopygium (Fig. 2C : v3).

Remarks.

Placement of Protaphycus in Encyrtinae is supported by the presence of the filum spinosum of linea calva. The new genus somewhat resembles the extant genus Aphycus Mayr, 1876 in having a similar structure of the antenna: the clava is large, the pedicel is long, the funicular segments are transverse; the mesoscutum has incomplete notaular lines; the linea calva is entire, with distinct covering setae; the parastigma is distinctly swollen. But it is distinguished by the long marginal vein; the linea calva is noticeably wider; the presence of bare area alongside linea calva, basal to row of the covering setae; the seta marking the apex of the postmarginal vein is no longer than others on the marginal and postmarginal veins; the relatively short mesobasitarsus; and by the subapical position of the cerci.

Unlike most extant representatives of the subfamily, the hypopygium in Protaphycus is not transverse, triangular and reaching way past apex of the syntergum (Fig. 2C : hyp). Similar structure of the hypopygium is known in Aphycus , Ageniaspis Dahlbom, 1857, some species of Copidosoma Ratzeburg, 1844 and, possible, in a few other extant Encyrtinae . But, the apex of the hypopygium in these genera really extend only the apex of this syntergum and does not extend past of it. This state is only found in one or two other unrelated genera, e.g. Coccidoctonus Crawford, 1912 (J. S. Noyes, pers. comm. 2022).

From the Aphycoides Mercet, 1921 it differs by the presence of the distinct notaular lines, F1 shorter than its length, and a very wide linea calva.

From the Oriencyrtus Sugonjaev & Trjapitzin, 1974 which has some characters in common with Protaphycus and is definitely one of the most basal extant encyrtid genera ( Noyes and Hayat 1994; J. S. Noyes, pers. comm. 2022) it differs by the presence of the filum spinosum. In addition, the forewings of Protaphycus are 2 × as long as broad, this is unusually broad for encyrtids according to J. S. Noyes, pers. comm. 2022, and noted e.g. in the extant genus Oesol Noyes & Woolley, 1994 ( Noyes and Woolley 1994; P: 1333).

Figures

Figure 2. Protaphycus shuvalikovi gen. et sp. nov., holotype female A body, posteroventral (cl - clava, ms - mesotibial spur) B body, posteroventral (cers - cercal setae, sp - spiracle on the lateral plate of the Mt 8) C gaster, posteroventrolateral (c - cercus, hyp - hypopygium - black arrow indicates the apex of the hypopygium ventraly, syn - syntergum, v 3 - ovipositor sheaths). Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, C); 0.1 mm (B).