Leucospis glaesaria, Engel, Michael S., 2001

Engel, Michael S., 2001, The first leucospid wasp from the fossil record (Hymenoptera: Leucospidae), Journal of Natural History 36 (4), pp. 435-441 : 437-440

Leucospis glaesaria sp. nov.

(®gures 1±6)

Holotype. Female (®gure 1), early Miocene amber, Dominican Republic, AMNH, DR-10-186 9 (speci®c mine unknown). Labelled ` Holotype, Leucospis glaesaria Engel. ’ Deposited in the amber fossil collection, Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA .

Diagnosis. The new species is distinctive for the combination of sparse pubescence, metallic cupreous integument on the mesosoma and metasoma, absence of a semicircular depression separating the lower tooth of the mandible (®gure 3), a strong premarginal carina on the pronotum, carinate borders on the dorsellum, contiguous punctures on the mesosoma and metasoma (®gure 2), a truncate metatibial apex (®gure 5), long outer metatibial spur (®gure 5), a long metabarsitarsus (®gure 5), absence of a medial carina on the propodeum, a laterally conspicuous occipital carina, eight teeth on the ventral margin of the metafemur (®gure 5), and a relatively short ovipositor (®gure 4). It is most similar to L. speifera but diVers by the absence of distinct interspaces between punctures, the cupreous body coloration, a depression along the posterior margin of the scutellum, absence of a medial carina on the propodeum and the sparse pubescence.

Description. Female: Total body length (exclusive of antennae) 11.6 mm; forewing length 11.3 mm. Dorsal head width 3 mm, length 0.9 mm; frontal head width 3 mm, length 2.2 mm. Width of scrobes 0.6 mm. Clypeal length 0.5 mm, width 0.5 mm. Malar length 0.4 mm. Compound eye length 1.5 mm, width 1.2 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.5 mm; lower interorbital distance 1.4 mm. Interocellar distance (POL of BoucÏek) 0.4 mm; ocellocular distance (OOL of BoucÏek) 0.4 mm. Scape length 0.7 mm, width 0.2 mm; pedicel length 0.2 mm; ¯agellum length 4 mm. Intertegular distance 3 mm. Metasoma length 6.1 mm. Body generally metallic cupreous except as follows: mandibular apex black; head just above lower tangent of compound eyes to vertex dark, metallic green; gena dark, metallic green; apices of claws black; forewing somewhat infuscate on anterior third beyond stigma, otherwise very weakly infumate.

Head narrower than mesoscutum, dorsally about 3.3 times as broad as long; occipital carina bordering lateral ocelli posteriorly, sharp, running down till just below centre of compound eyes. Scape minutely punctured, punctures separated by about a puncture width, integument between smooth. Upper carinate margin of scrobes less than one-half diameter of median ocellus from median ocellus, sharp along all margins (®gure 3). Face with small, contiguous punctures; punctures slightly larger on vertex. Interantennal area weakly convex, with weak median carina. Gena punctured as on face. Head with exceedingly sparse, minute setae.

Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with coarse, regular punctures, punctures contiguous (®gure 6); those along posterior margin of scutellum elongate posteriorly, approximately two to three times longer than wide. Pronotum with strong, premarginal carina. Posterior margin of scutellum slightly depressed and forming a short lamella that slightly overhangs anterior margin of dorsellum. Dorsellum with two rows of strong alveolae, integument within smooth, lateral and posterior margins strongly carinate. Metanotum with single row of alveolae along posterior margin, anterior half with small, contiguous punctures. Propodeum two times wider than dorsellum, with coarse, contiguous punctures, medial carina absent. Mesopleuron above depression with coarse, contiguous punctures (®gure 2); depression and preepisternum smooth with sparse, minute punctures. Metacoxa with coarse, contiguous punctures except large impunctate area on dorsal surface (®gure 5), depression in posterior-dorsal surface impunctate; lateral surface with smaller punctures than those of dorsal surface, punctures separated by width or less, integument between smooth. Metafemur not very stout; ventral margin with broad basal tooth followed by seven smaller teeth (®gure 5). Metatibia apex truncate; outer metatibial spur long; metabasitarsus dorsally longer than breadth of metatibia (®gure 5). Mesosoma with sparse, minute setae except propodeum without pubescence.

Metasoma hardly longer than combined lengths of head and mesosoma. Anterior third of T 1 (of gaster) impunctate, middle third with coarse, contiguous punctures, punctured area bordered posteriorly by short band of impunctate integument, posterior margin with a short band of coarse, contiguous punctures; T 1 with premarginal constriction at point of posterior impunctate band. Remaining terga uniformly punctured, punctures coarse and contiguous. Ovipositor relatively short (®gure 4). Metasoma with exceedingly sparse, minute setae.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. The speci®c epithet is taken from the Latin; glaesarius, meaning`of amber’.

Preservation. The specimen is magni®cently preserved in tact and without mould (®gures 1, 2, 6). There is essentially no damage to the specimen and only the position of certain body parts obscure speci®c views (e.g. the left forewing is positioned such that it makes viewing of the left hind leg diYcult, although not impossible).