Maimetshidae Rasnitsyn, 1975

Perrichot, Vincent, Ortega-Blanco, Jaime, McKellar, Ryan C., Delclos, Xavier, Azar, Dany, Nel, Andre, Tafforeau, Paul & Engel, Michael S., 2011, New and revised maimetshid wasps from Cretaceous ambers (Hymenoptera, Maimetshidae), ZooKeys 130, pp. 421-453 : 424-425

Family Maimetshidae Rasnitsyn, 1975

Maimetshidae Rasnitsyn, 1975: 73. Type genus: Maimetsha Rasnitsyn, 1975. Rasnitsyn 1988: 124; Ronquist et al. 1999: 33; Rasnitsyn and Brothers 2009: 192; Perrichot 2009: 2; Ortega-Blanco et al. 2010: 266; Vilhelmsen et al. 2010a: 674.

Dinapsinae [ Megalyridae ], partim: Shaw 1988: 107.

Dinapsini [ Megalyridae ], partim: Shaw 1990: 578.

Diagnosis.

Modified from Rasnitsyn and Brothers (2009): Head hypognathous, without ocular carina, without subantennal groove accommodating antennal base; vertex with or without longitudinal median sulcus; antenna filiform, with scape short to moderate, never elongate, flagellomeres variable in number (14-19), most often 16, without apparent sexual dimorphism; mandibles often asymmetrical, with 3-4 teeth. Pronotum short medially; mesoscutum with notauli and median sulcus; axillae meeting anterior to mesoscutellum or separated by scutoscutellar sulcus; propodeum areolate. Forewing with costal space moderate to wide; C and pterostigma present; basal sections of Rs and M subequal in length, not continuously aligned (i.e., not forming smooth basal vein); cell [2R1] (i.e., marginal cell) closed, wide (not triangular), moderately short to moderately long; cells [1Rs] and/or [2Rs] closed; cell [1M] closed, small, distant from [1Rs]; cell [2M] open or delimited by spectral or nebulous 2m-cu; 1cu-a antefurcal. Hind wing with no posterobasal lobe; 4-5 distal hamuli; basal cell [R] closed; free apex of Rs present, short to long; free apices of M and Cu short or absent, that of A absent. Legs with trochantelli; tibial spur formula 1-2-2; tarsi pentamerous; tarsal plantulae present in some females; pretarsal claws with preapical tooth. Metasoma rather short, compact, not much sculptured, attached low on propodeum, first segment longest [articulatory ring referred to by Rasnitsyn and Brothers (2009) is not evident and apparently an incorrect interpretation], apical sternum of female elongate, nearly reaching metasomal apex; ovipositor external but not very long, sheaths at most as long as metasoma, not fitting tightly to ovipositor (often preserved detached).

Included genera.

Andyrossia Rasnitsyn and Jarzembowski, 2000 (Wealden, England, Barremian; a replacement name for Arossia Rasnitsyn and Jarzembowski in Rasnitsyn et al. 1998); Ahiromaimetsha Perrichot, Azar, Nel, and Engel gen n. (Lebanese amber, Neocomian); Iberomaimetsha Ortega-Blanco, Perrichot, and Engel gen. n. (Spanish amber, Lower Albian); Guyotemaimetsha Perrichot et al., 2004a (French amber, latest Albian/earliest Cenomanian); Afrapia Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009 (Orapa Mine, Botswana, Turonian); Afromaimetsha Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009 (Orapa Mine, Botswana, Turonian); Maimetshorapia Rasnitsyn and Brothers, 2009 (Orapa Mine, Botswana, Turonian); Maimetsha Rasnitsyn, 1975 (Taimyr amber, Santonian); and Ahstemiam McKellar and Engel gen. n. (Canadian amber, Campanian). Table 1 summarizes the species diversity of the family.