Chrysopsenella euryphaessa Lepeco and Melo, 2024

Lepeco, Anderson & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2024, Revisiting the phylogeny of the scolebythid wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) through Bayesian model evaluation and parsimony, with description of a new fossil family of Chrysidoidea, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 201, pp. 57-85 : 66-69

† Chrysopsenella euryphaessa Lepeco and Melo , sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 )

Type material: Holotype female in amber piece DZUP Bur-1159. The wasp is well preserved without any apparent deformations; it is mostly articulate, except for the left proleg, which is detached from the femur but placed very near the wasp body; the left antenna lacks its distal three flagellomeres. Syninclusions: one Serphitidae , two Platygastroidea, the remainder of what seems a scolebythid wasp (most of the body was already sanded off), plus abundant stellate plant trichomes.

Description: Holotype female. Measurements (in mm): approximate body length: 3.05; maximum head width: 0.75; maximum head length: 0.68; minimum interocular distance: 0.33. Colour: head and mesosoma mostly black. Mouthparts, pedicel, flagellum and legs light brown; scape dark brown. Wings hyaline, with light brown veins. Metasoma reddish-brown. Pilosity: short and dense overall. Longer setae on tibiae not surpassing one-half the maximum tibial width. Spine-like setae on the apex of tarsomeres and scattered on the first tarsomere of mesotarsus. Wingmembranehomogeneouslysetose, setaeshorterthanwidth of vein M + Cu; anterior margin of forewing with setae shorter than width of vein C. Sculpturing: integument mostly smooth, without conspicuous ornamentations; metapostnotum apparently with longitudinal carinae; lateral surfaces of propodeum rugose. Structure: antennal sockets separated from each other by about one-half socket width. Compound eye about twice as long as maximum width. Ocellar triangle below upper tangent of eyes; lateral ocelli separated from inner orbit by about 1.5× mid-ocellus width. Vertex extending beyond lateral ocelli by about one mid-ocellus width. Scape about 3× as long as wide; pedicel about twice as long as wide; F1 slightly shorter than pedicel; F2 with about one-half F1 length; remaining flagellomeres subequal to F 2 in length; flagellum thicker between F5-F7. Profemur 3× as long as its maximum width; first tarsomere of proleg 0.7× as long as protibia. First tarsomere of mesoleg 0.8× as long as mesotibia. Metafemur thicker on basal half, 2.5× as long as maximum width. First tarsomere of metaleg 0.7× as long as metatibia. Forewing: pterostigma 4× as long as maximum width; 2rs-m inserted near basal third of marginal cell; 1st medial cell about twice as long as width. Hindwing: with four distal hamuli. Dorsal surface of T1 as long as 0.8× the exposed surface of T2.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology: The specific epithet is based on the alternative name of the Titaness Theia, who, in Greek mythology, endowed jewels with their brilliance and value. Name in apposition.

Figures

Figure 4. †Chrysopsenella euryphaessa gen. et sp. nov. female holotype (DZUP Bur-1159). A, dorsolateral view of habitus, right side; B, dorsolateral view of the right side of head and mesosoma; C, ventrolateral view of habitus, left side; D, ventrolateral view of the left side of head and mesosoma; E, head, frontal view; F, wings. Scale bars: A (1 mm), C with the same scale as A; D (0.5 mm), B and F with the same scale as D; E (0.5 mm).

Figure 5. Line drawing of †Chrysopsenella euryphaessa gen.et sp. nov.female holotype (DZUP Bur-1159). Habitus, right side. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 6. Line drawings of †Chrysopsenella euryphaessa gen. et sp. nov. female holotype (DZUP Bur-1159). A, ventrolateral view of head and part of the mesosoma, left side. B, head, frontal view. A and B at the same scale. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.