Perilampus renzii, PEÑALVER & ENGEL, 2006

PEÑALVER, ENRIQUE & ENGEL, MICHAEL S, 2006, Two Wasp Families Rare in the Fossil Record (Hymenoptera): Perilampidae and Megaspilidae from the Miocene of Spain, American Museum Novitates 3540 (1), pp. 1-12 : 5-8

Perilampus renzii , new species figures 2, 3

DIAGNOSIS: The new species can be immediately recognized owing to the plesiomorphic condition of exserted ovipositor sheaths (fig. 3a). In addition, the combination of a subsessile metasoma, enlarged pronotal collar lacking transverse elevations, large prepectus fused to the pronotum, unarmed mesoscutellum, elongate marginal vein, and pterostigmal vein shorter than the postmarginal vein serve to distinguish the species.

DESCRIPTION: Female. Body robust, apparently exceedingly sparsely setose, coarsely punctate except metasoma largely finely, transversely striate; total body length (as preserved and measured from front of head to posterior border of metasoma) 3.16 mm; forewing length ca. 2.10 mm, width 0.83 mm. Integument black; wing membrane hyaline, with distinct microtrichiae; veins dark brown. Compound eye large, occupying nearly entire lateral portion of head; antennae articulating below level of compound eye midlength; scape length approximately equal to combined lengths of first two funicular articles; at least 10 flagellar articles evident, with some evidence of an exceedingly short, basal annellar flagellomere, yielding 11 flagellar articles in total; seven funicular articles roughly quadrate; clavus with three articles; malar space apparently linear, base of mandible near compound eye margin; mandible well developed, with at least two teeth at apex of right mandible (as preserved, somewhat incompletely preserved so a third tooth may have once been present). Pronotal collar enlarged, with distinct dorsal surface backing up to posterior margin of head, without paired, transverse elevations; pronotum with distinct and large lateral surface; prepectus relatively large, not bulging, rigidly attached to pronotum; mesonotum with transverse, punctured striae; mesoscutellum unarmed, not projecting posteriorly over metanotum. Tarsi pentamerous (preserved only on one foreleg). Forewing with marginal vein elongate, about twice length of postmarginal vein; postmarginal and pterostigmal veins relatively short, pterostigmal vein shorter than postmarginal vein, pterostigma tapering to posterior point. Metasoma high in lateral aspect, height and length about that of mesosoma; subsessile (i.e., lacking a conspicuous petiole); ovipositor sheaths well developed and exserted, distinctly piliferous; ovipositor slender and elongate (total length indeterminate, incompletely preserved).

HOLOTYPE: Female, MPV-280- RM; holotype in small slab of oil shale with dimensions of 6.4 X 6.2 cm. On the same surface as that of the holotype is preserved a freshwater gastropod (MPV-279- RM) and several ostracod shells. The holotype is virtually complete and well preserved, having lost only small portions of the head, wings, legs, and ovipositor. Sculpturing can still be easily discerned on the integument and minute, setae are preserved on the wings and ovipositor valves.

TYPE LOCALITY: Outcrop of Río Rubielos 3 (RR3) (see fig. 1). Early Miocene (Early Burdigalian) oil shales in Rubielos de Mora Basin, central Iberian Chain, Province of Teruel ( Spain).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a patronymic honoring Dr. Miquel De Renzi, paleontologist of the University of Valencia ( Spain), for his contribution to the knowledge of the Rubielos de Mora site, in particular, and Konservat-Lagerstätten, in general.

SUPERFAMILY CERAPHRONOIDEA HALIDAY FAMILY MEGASPILIDAE ASHMEAD

The Megaspilidae is an infrequently encountered family of microhymenopteran wasps, with nearly 500 described species (although this number will assuredly double or triple as more survey and taxonomic work is undertaken on the family). Little is known of megaspilid biology, but the available information indicates a varied parasitoid lifestyle, with species attacking hosts as different as Hemiptera (Coccoidea) , Neuroptera, Mecoptera (Boreidae) , and Diptera (Puparia) , or acting as hyperparasitoids on Hemiptera (Aphididae) via aphidiine Braconidae ( Goulet and Huber, 1993) . As previously mentioned (see Introduction) fossils of these minute wasps were known only as exceptionally rare inclusions in amber (summarized in table 1). It is, therefore, of significance that two megaspilids have been recovered as compressions from the Rubielos de Mora Basin.

SUBFAMILY MEGASPILINAE ASHMEAD