Boreobythus turonius, 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 : 5

Boreobythus turonius , new species figures 1 , 4

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (see above).

DESCRIPTION: As described for the genus, with the following additions: Total body length ca. 2.0 mm; forewing length ca. 1.3 mm. Head. Head longer than broad, upper tangent of compound eyes to vertex approximately equal to length of compound eye; inner margin of compound eyes straight, parallel; gena narrower than compound eye in lateral view. Scape short, approximately equal to combined lengths of F1 and F2; length of F1 equal to that of F2, both shorter than F3. Integument black except antenna dark brown. Mesosoma. Surface sculpturing unobservable, integument apparently black; legs dark brown. Forewing with basal vein confluent with 1cu-a; basal vein approximately straight with Rs and of equal length; hind wing unobservable; wing veins dark brown, membrane lightly infumate. Metasoma. Terga and sterna dark brown, apparently imbricate.

HOLOTYPE: Female, NEW JERSEY: Sayreville, White Oaks pit, coll. Paul Nascimbene. Specimen deposited in the Amber Collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology , American Museum of Natural History. The amber enclosing the holotype is turbid ( fig. 1 ) obscuring many features of the wasp.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a reference to Turonian, the age of the amber in which the fossil was discovered.

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. 4. Dorsal and lateral views of Boreobythus turonius, new genus and species, in New Jersey amber (AMNH). Ocelli are likely present but are obscured by layer of Schimmel over face (position of setae, however, can be ascertained as they stick through and above this layer).