Chalscelio orapa, Rasnitsyn & Brothers, 2007

Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P. & Brothers, Denis J., 2007, Two new hymenopteran fossils from the mid-Cretaceous of southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Jurapriidae, Evaniidae), African Invertebrates 48 (1), pp. 193-202 : 196-198

Chalscelio orapa sp. n.

Etymology: The species name, a noun in apposition, is the type locality.

Description: Body length 2.2 mm; forewing length as preserved (wing base perhaps incompletely visible) 1.2 mm. Ground colour moderately dark; head, flagellum, mesopleuron and metasoma darker. No surface sculpture evident. Head transverse, moderately wide (about as wide as mesosoma), with large, almost circular eyes occupying most of the sides. Temples narrow. Position of antennal sockets unknown. Antenna at

(above) and counterpart (from Rasnitsyn et al. 2004); (4) Jurapria sibirica Rasnitsyn , holotype;

drawing with fore- and hindwing below (modified after Rasnitsyn 1983). Abbreviations: a –

1

scape, a

2

– pedicel, ax – axilla, cx

3

– hind coxa, f

1

– fore femur, ta

2, 3

–mid and hind tarsi, ti

1–3

–

fore, mid and hind tibiae, N

1–3

– pro-, meso- and metanotum (the latter probably with metapostnotum delimited behind), ov – ovipositor, pp? – supposed prepectus, spi – spiracular excision of pronotum, Scl – mesoscutellum, vp – mesothoracic ventropleuron (ventral surface of mesothorax), Vr

1

– supposed upper margin of first valvifer, Vr

2

– second valvifer, V

3

– ovipositor sheath; wing veins labelled conventionally. In wing, dotted line – sharp concave furrow, dashed line – rounded convex fold. Scale bars = 1 mm.

least 13-segmented (number of flagellomeres not precisely known), twice bent (geniculate and bent basal to clava) and clavate. Scape several times longer than wide (full length unknown), wider than flagellum and narrower than clava. Pedicel about as wide as flagellar segments, about one and a half times as long as wide. No true anellar segments evident. Flagellar segments strongly transverse, at least 6 in number, of subequal length and width. Clava 5-segmented, with 1 st segment subconical, only slightly wider than flagellar segments; subsequent segments of subequal width and length (except apical segment longer), subquadrangular, about 1.5 times as wide as long; apical segment narrowed toward rounded apex, 1.5 times as long as wide. Mesosoma ovate in dorsolateral view. Pronotum with apparently straight hind margin and weakly defined posterolateral angles. Mesonotum without distinct notauli (possibly because of insufficient preservation). Scutellum apparently wide and short. No distinct axilla evident. Metanotum ribbon-like, not very short. Propodeum with two transverse lines, with lateral lines (probably incomplete below), and with ovate area surrounding spiracle. Forewing shorter than metasoma, narrow. Costal vein weak or lost. Pterostigma small, almost dot-like. Basal vein weakly oblique, separated from 2r–rs by slightly less than its length; 2r–rs oblique, slightly shorter than its distance from basal vein. No RS present (except for part in basal vein). Distal part of M long, not connected with basal vein. Cu bent posteriorly at fork with M, then bent anteriorly at rudiment of vein formerly closing cell. No trace of cu–a or 1A. Metasoma fusiform, with segment length ratios about 1:0.7:0.7:0.7:0.8:0.5. No external ovipositor evident. Relation between apical tergum and sternum (tightly closing metasomal apex at rest or not) unknown, but at least not wide apart apically.

Holotype: BP/2/26990a and b/6, female (based on form of antenna), almost complete but lacking legs (except for hind coxa) and hind wings. BOTSWANA: Orapa ; Upper Cretaceous, Turonian.