Cretaxenomerus tenuipenna Ulmer & Krogmann, 2023

UImer, Jonah M., Jansta, Petr, Azar, Dany & Krogmann, Lars, 2023, At the dawn of megadiversity - Protoitidae, a new family of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 879-924 : 879

Cretaxenomerus tenuipenna Ulmer & Krogmann sp. nov.

Fig. 13

Diagnosis.

Cretaxenomerus tenuipenna can be differentiated from all other species in the genus by the following combination of characters: scape conspicuously long, about as long as eye height, fu1-2 about 2 × as long as wide, especially fu1 much narrower than pedicel, at least fu4 only slightly longer than wide and wider than pedicel, terminal claval segments loosely associated, without distinct fusion between cl1 and fl11. Fore wing slender, 3.5 × longer than wide. Foretibia without basitarsal comb. Propodeum not strongly sloped.

Description.

Female. Body length 1256. Body dark brown, appendages light brown, may be taphonomic artifact. Wings hyaline with some slight brown infumation distally from basal vein, uniformly pilose. Right fore leg tarsal segments except about half of basitarsus and left hind tarsal segments 25 are missing, left antenna after pedicel and ovipositor broken on several places, both antennae with some cracks on scape and pedicel. Head. Globular, approximately equal in length and width (Fig. 13A ). Face equal in length to frons. Temple rather short, about ⅕ as long as eye length. Eye circular, about as high as pedicel length (Fig. 13A ). Toruli equal distance from one another as to inner eye margin. No scrobal depression. Dental formula 3:3; mandibles on higher plane than face. Maxillary palps at least 2-segmented. Antenna long, more than half the length of body (712). Scape elongated, about 3.4 × as long as wide and 4 × as long as length of pedicel (Fig. 13A ). Fu1-2 elongate relative to other funicles, both segments about 2 × as long as wide, length of fu1 72 (Fig. 13C ). Fu1 much narrower than pedicel; at least fu4 only slightly longer than wide and wider that pedicel. Clava 1-segmented, undifferentiated from prior flagellomeres (Fig. 13C ). MPS extending past apical margin of flagellomeres. Pilosity uniform on all segments. Mesosoma elongate, longer than high; length 390. Mesonotum roughly ½ length of mesosoma. Mesoscutum convex. Mesopleuron elongate, 1.6 × as long as wide. Mesoscutellum 0.4 × length of mesonotum. Metanotum band-like, 0.4 × length of mesoscutellum (Fig. 13A ). Propodeum elongate and sloped roughly 30°, roughly ½ length of mesonotum. Wings. Fore wings elongate, 3.5 × longer than wide, length 1041, width 292. Longest marginal seta 44. Basal vein and cubital vein ephemeral (Fig. 13D ). Basal vein length 47. Submarginal vein length 399. Marginal vein about ⅜ length of submarginal vein and narrow; width 19. Stigma short, length 28. Postmarginal vein narrow, ½ length of marginal vein. Hind wing slender and elongate, 13 × as long as wide, 0.5 × as long as fore wing length (Fig. 13D ). Ventral marginal setae of hind wing long, 0.8 × width of hind wing. Legs. Basitarsus curved in first third; basitarsal comb of fore leg not visible. Hind trochanter as long as hindcoxa (Fig. 13A :cx3). Metasoma elongate, 1.5 × as long as mesosoma. Attached to mesosoma narrowly by clear petiole (Fig. 13A :ptl). Mt2-6 tergal segments countable. Syntergum 0.6 × length of metasoma. Ovipositor length 620, 1.2 × length of gaster; ovipositor about 2 × as long as syntergum(Fig. 13B ); ovipositor tip with at least 3 teeth visible; ovipositor sheaths uniformly flattened along its entire length (Fig. 13B ).

Male. Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype: female, Hammana / Mdeyrij , Caza Baabda , Mouhafazet Mount Lebanon; lower Barremian. In amber mounted in Canada Balsam. Deposited at Natural History Museum of the Lebanese University, accession/specimen number: 623I.

Type condition.

Specimen relatively complete; antennal segments partly fragmented and separated from taphonomic process; syntergum and ovipositor complex also fragmented; tarsal segments missing beyond basitarsus on left fore- and hind leg. Streaks and ripples in the amber obscured some characters during imaging.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a portmanteau of the Latin ' tenuis ' for narrow and ' penna ' for feather in regards to its slender wings.

Notes.

Cretaxenomerus tenuipenna has several similarities with C. brevis , most pronounced being the shortened syntergum as well as C. vitreus in antennal structure. However, the wing shape would indicate it is likely a closely associated but distinct species.

Figures

Figure 13. Cretaxenomerus tenuipenna, holotype A lateral habitus B ovipositor and terminal metasomal segments C antenna, lateral D fore and hind wing (showing beneath fore wing). Scale bars: 500 µm (A); 250 µm (D); 100 µm (B, C). pl 1 = propleuron; ptl = petiole.