Ahstemiam cellula McKellar & Engel

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 : 440-443

Ahstemiam cellula McKellar & Engel sp. n. Figs 1314

Type material.

Holotype CNC-CAS 1038 (♂) (Fig. 13). Deposited in Canadian National Collection of Insects and Arthropods, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Type locality.

Grassy Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Stratigraphic horizon.

Uppermost Foremost Formation, Campanian, Upper Cretaceous.

Diagnosis.

As for the genus (see above).

Description.

Male (holotype): Body color apparently dark brown, with paler brown antennae and femora, and yellow legs distal to femora (Fig. 13). Head slightly distorted in type specimen, appearing broad (transverse) and foreshortened (exsagittal), with length 0.57 × width; ventral margin of gena with prominent notches, more so adjacent to mandibles; frons deeply impressed, antennal bases inserted in shallow depression between compound eyes (Fig. 13); vertex with sparse, short, inclined setae; scape taphonomically distorted, in lateral view, elongate and narrow basally with pr onounced apical flare, and concave apex (Fig. 14); pedicel with row of midlength stiff setae inclined upon ventral margin; apical flagellar article slightly wider than preceding articles, and tapering to bluntly-rounded apex; flagellum with dense coat of short, curled setae in various orientations. Mesoscutum with low dorsal convexity, apparently near one-half of mesosomal length; mesoscutellum with low dorsal convexity, overhanging metanotum slightly, bearing numerous short, inclined setae; metanotum with prominent ridge along posterior margin which projects posterodorsally over propodeum; propodeum gradually sloping to pronounced posterior lip. Forewing at least 0.96 mm in length and 0.42 mm in width, hyaline with microtrichial vestiture and pterostigma pale brown, like tubular veins in wing; Sc+R slightly thicker than other veins, narrowing basally but expanding apical to junction with Rs; fusion of Rs and M angled, veins not parallel to each other; 2rs-m apparently nebulous throughout its course, but preserved in only one wing, which appears taphonomically affected in this region; apex of M not preserved in type specimen; 2Cu significantly longer than 1m-cu; 3Cu appears relatively short, terminating posterior to 1rs-m; 2A fading to nebulous vein at midlength of cell [2Cu]. Hind wings poorly visible; apparent length near 0.64 mm; only anterior veins partly visible; broad, open costal cell apparent near apex of Sc+R; R appears to curve anteriorly and rapidly fade along anterior margin of wing; 2Rs and putative 1rs-m both fade distally, and are removed from 1R by relatively long 1Rs; faint curved vein within posterior portion of wing base assumed to represent A; marginal setae visible along posterior margin of wing are fine, elongate and relatively sparse, with greater density in apical positions. Legs with pervasive coat of short, stiff setae densely inclined upon most surfaces; pro- and mesocoxae with elongate setae inclined upon ventral surface; profemur with two rows of short, stiff setae suberect upon ventral surface, protibia bearing row of at least three stout spines approximately one-half of calcar’s length on posterior surface; calcar gently curved and robust (as wide as probasitarsus), deeply inserted into protibial apex, extending only slightly beyond apex; fine setae inclined upon both sides of calcar, and matching longitudinal comb of erect spicules on basal half of probasitarsus; probasitarsus length slightly less than all subsequent tarsomeres combined, with approximately four irregularly distributed spines upon apical half of plantar surface; protarsomeres III and IV much shorter than others, one-half to two-thirds length of protarsomere V; all tarsi with serrate pretarsal claws and large arolium, with two apical spines on all tarsomeres (potentially absent on protarsomeres, but orientation obscures observation); meso- and metacoxae both approximately 1.5 × length of procoxa, with broad bases and apical constriction; mesofemur with two rows of short, stiff setae inclined upon ventral surface; mesotibia with patch of fine, short spines along posterior surface near apex; two mesotibial spurs short and stout, slightly longer than apical width of mesotibia, and bearing minute setae along both margins; metafemur with significant midlength inflation, laterally compressed, with two rows of short, stiff setae suberect along ventral surface; metatibia with moderate apical expansion, bearing two apical spurs slightly longer than metatibial apical width, as well as comb-like row of six spicules each approximately two-thirds of spurs’ length; metatarsi not preserved. Metasoma with six apparent terga; terga appear to bear frills of elongate setae along posterior and lateral margins, terga more pilose within posterior of metasoma; parameres spatulate, each with four elongate setae erect on apex.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is the Latin diminutive noun in apposition, cellula (meaning, "small room") and refers to the very small size of cell [1Rs].