Uliobythus terpsichore, ENGEL & GRIMALDI, 2007

ENGEL, MICHAEL S. & GRIMALDI, DAVID A., 2007, Cretaceous Scolebythidae and Phylogeny of the Family (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), American Museum Novitates 3568 (1), pp. 1-16 : 9-11

Uliobythus terpsichore , new species figures 3 , 6

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (see above).

DESCRIPTION: Total body length ca. 1.4 mm (excluding everted male genitalia); forewing length ca. 1.0 mm. Head. Head apparently roughly ovoid, moderately broad, distance between compound eyes approximately equal to length of compound eye; gena much narrower than compound eye. Scape apparently short, perhaps only slightly more than combined lengths of F1 and F2 (difficult to determine owing to imperfect view of head in facial view). Integument dark brown and faintly imbricate. Mesosoma. Integument dark brown and apparently imbricate and impunctate. Propleura forming a strong, anterior neck, converging anteriorly, with distinct longitudinal striae; pronotal dorsal surface much shorter than mesoscutum. Transverse mesoscutal-mesoscutellar sulcus straight between tegulae; posterior border of mesoscutellum arched posteriorly; metanotum roughly U-shaped in dorsal aspect; basal area of propodeum narrowing posteriorly. Wing veins brown, membrane infumate; forewing with basal vein confluent with 1cua; venation depicted in figure 6 . Metasoma. Terga and sterna dark brown, imbricate and impunctate, with sparsely scattered, short, simple setae; genitalia as depicted in figure 6.

HOLOTYPE: Male, LEBANON: Hamman / Mdeirij, Azar-157- A. Specimen deposited in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and is the name of Terpsichore , one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology. Terpsichore was the Muse of Dance and was selected for the epithet since the position of preservation of the holotype gives the appearance of an elegant and pirouetting dancer .

KEY TO GENERA OF SCOLEBYTHIDAE

It should be noted that in the key of Azevedo (1999) the genus Libanobythus is treated as having notauli present (an error perpetuated by Lacau et al., 2000) while these are actually absent (see Prentice et al., 1996: 807).

1. Vein R 1 of forewing present, either fusing apically or nearly meeting Rs......... 2

_. Vein R 1 of forewing absent, and thereby not fusing with Rs apically.............. 5

2. Marginal cell apex closed (i.e., R 1 and Rs fusing apically); pronotal collar absent [Recent]........................ 3

_. Marginal cell apex open (i.e., R 1 and Rs not meeting); pronotal collar present [Cretaceous; New Jersey amber].............................. Boreobythus , n.gen.

3. First submarginal cell not enlarged, shorter in length than marginal cell; frons without median prominence between antennal toruli; malar space evident................ 4

_. First submarginal cell elongate, longer than marginal cell; frons with median prominence between antennal toruli; malar space exceedingly minute, nearly unidentifiable [ South Africa and Australia]..... Ycaploca Nagy

4. Occipital carina present; malar space short, less than one-half basal mandibular width; marginal cell apex situated along anterior wing margin; S5 without special patches of setae [ Madagascar]........ Scolebythus Evans

_. Occipital carina absent; malar space well over one-half basal mandibular width; marginal cell apex arched away from anterior wing margin; S5 with two patches of appressed, dense setae [widespread Western Hemisphere].......... Clystopsenella Kieffer

5. Apical portion of Rs tubular; forewing with or without closed submarginal cell [Cretaceous; Lebanese amber].................. 6

a The alleged complete absence of tibial spurs in Eobythus is extremely unusual among Hymenoptera , particularly

Aculeata, and should be confirmed.

_. Apical portion of Rs nebulous; forewing without closed submarginal cell [Tertiary to Recent]......................... 8

6. Forewing without closed submarginal cell; dorsal-facing surface of pronotum greatly reduced, much smaller than mesoscutum.. 7

_. Forewing with closed submarginal cell; dorsalfacing surface of pronotum enlarged, larger than mesoscutum.......................... Libanobythus Prentice and Poinar

7. Minute wasps (less than 2 mm in total length), with more typical scolebythid habitus; face without impressed medial line, without depressions lateral to antennal toruli; parapsidal lines faint but present; ocelli positioned just above upper tangent of compound eyes; one metatibial spur.... Uliobythus , n.gen.

4 This genus should perhaps be synonymized with Pristapenesia (vide Cladistics and Discussion). Also, the occipital carina is purportedly absent, yet figure 3 in Lacau et al. (2000), albeit small and faint, shows a minute line on the posterior and undersurfaces of the head which suggests a weak carina may indeed be present. The ‘‘flattened’’ metafemur may be the result of misinterpretation of compression along the specimen’s legs, typical for such fossils.

_. Small wasps (ca. 2.6 mm total length), with bethylid-like habitus; face with strong medial line impressed from between antennal toruli to upper tangent of compound eyes, with gentle depressions lateral to antennal toruli; parapsidal lines absent; ocelli positioned far behind upper tangent of compound eyes; two metatibial spurs........ Zapenesia , n.gen.

8. Frontal prominence present; occipital carina present; metafemur not flattened [Eocene to Recent]............ Pristapenesia Brues

_. Frontal prominence absent; occipital carina absent; metafemur flattened [Eocene].................... Eobythus Lacau et al. 4

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Photomicrographs of Cretaceous Scolebythidae. 1. Female holotype of Boreobythus turonius, new genus and species (AMNH). 2. Female holotype of Zapenesia libanica, new genus and species (Azar 146- A). 3. Male holotype of Uliobythus terpsichore, new genus and species (Azar 157-A).

Fig. 6. Uliobythus terpsichore, new genus and species, in Lebanese amber (Azar 157-A).