Research Article |
Corresponding author: Elijah Talamas ( billy.jenkins@GMAIL.COM ) Academic editor: Matthew Yoder
© 2015 Elijah Talamas, Matthew Buffington.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Talamas EJ, Buffington ML (2015) Fossil Platygastroidea in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 47: 1-52. https://doi.org/10.3897/JHR.47.5730
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Platygastroid wasps preserved in Dominican amber and oil shale from the Kishenehn formation (Montana, USA) in the National Museum of Natural History are catalogued. Compression fossils in Kishenehn oil shale yield a specimen of Fidiobia, a specimen of Telenominae, and a specimen with a Scelio-type ovipositor system. Twenty-five described genera are documented from Dominican amber, all of which are known from the extant fauna: Allostemma Masner & Huggert, Aradophagus Ashmead, Calliscelio Ashmead, Calotelea Westwood, Duta Nixon, Embidobia Ashmead, Embioctonus Masner, Fidiobia Ashmead, Gryon Haliday, Idris Förster, Inostemma Haliday, Leptacis Förster, Leptoteleia Kieffer, Macroteleia Kieffer, Odontacolus Kieffer, Opisthacantha Ashmead, Parabaeus Kieffer, Paridris Kieffer, Platygaster Latreille, Plaumannion Masner & Johnson, Probaryconus Kieffer, Psilanteris Kieffer, Spiniteleia Masner, Telenomus Haliday, and Triteleia Kieffer. Fourteen of these genera do not have previously published fossil records and are here documented for the first time. Plaumannion fistulosum Talamas, sp. n., and Paridris yumai Talamas, sp. n. are described as new species. A phylogenetic analysis of Paridris including P. yumai is presented. A male specimen belonging to an undescribed scelionine genus is documented and illustrated, but not described, as the best features for circumscribing this taxon are found in the female, and monographic work on this group is currently underway by other workers. Four specimens from Baltic amber, belonging to Leptacis, Platygaster, and Sembilanocera Brues are presented for comparison to extant specimens and inclusions in Dominican amber.
Platygastroidea , Platygastrinae , Scelioninae , Telenominae , Sceliotrachelinae , amber, Miocene, Eocene, taxonomy
Our study of the amber collection of the National Museum of Natural History is preceded and enabled by the efforts of Alexandr Rasnitsyn, who identified hymenopteran inclusions to family in 1989. Here we continue this process and provide a finer taxonomic resolution for specimens of Platygastroidea. For most of the genera presented we did not describe the species as new for multiple reasons. First, examples exist of extant species that are found in amber (e.g. Palaeogryon muesebecki Masner) and we choose not to operate under the assumption that the species covered here are new simply because they are fossil specimens, particularly because Dominican amber is relatively young. Second, quality morphology-based taxonomy requires examination of primary types and specimens from a broad geographical range to provide a context for interpreting morphology and intraspecific variation. Without synthetic work that provides a sound basis for accurate identification, the description of new species is of little use to taxonomy and can result in the proliferation of unstable species names, which are ultimately detrimental to understanding biodiversity and evolutionary history. Lastly, specimen location and orientation, whether within an amber matrix or a compression fossil, often prevent a complete examination. From our perspective, it makes little sense to describe a new species (or genus) based on specimens with limited assessable morphology without knowing from examination of other species that it can be reliably identified.
We think it is noteworthy that more than half of the fossil platygastroid genera were described by authors who have not published on the extant fauna of Platygastroidea (
In recent decades very few fossil species have been described from extant genera, and with varying degrees of quality.
The careful circumscription of fossils has taken on an even greater importance in systematics with recent advancements in phylogeny dating techniques (reviewed by
Our goals here are to provide generic identifications to facilitate incorporation of these fossils in thorough species-level revisionary work, including photographs that will allow a first-pass assessment of the specimens. Our photographic efforts focused on specimens that were well preserved, easily photographed, and of morphological interest. We here include images for all genera that we identified, even in cases where the images leave much to be desired. Our philosophy is that an imperfect photograph is better than none at all. Taking the above statements into account regarding haphazard description of fossil species, we are confident in assigning names to two new species discovered through the course of this research.
Plaumannion fistulosum Talamas, sp. n. and Paridris yumai Talamas sp. n., are herein described. Plaumannion has only two previously described species (
Specimens that fit easily into extant genera are presented here simply as fossil records at the generic level. For other taxa, nuanced commentary is warranted and can be found after the heading for each taxon.
Classification in Platygastroidea at the family-level has undergone changes in the past decade, enacted by workers who do not specialize on the systematics of this taxon and who provided no new analysis of relationships within it (
All specimens, excluding those in Baltic amber, are housed in the Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Inquiries regarding examination or loan of material should be directed to Dr. Conrad Labandeira (labandec@si.edu). The material in Baltic amber was sent to us for identification, and where the specimens will ultimately be deposited is presently unclear, but can be tracked via the specimen CUIDs.
Collecting unit identifiers (CUIDs) were assigned only to the specimens that we photographed, which includes all specimens treated taxonomically (Paridris yumai sp. n. and Plaumannion fistulosum sp. n.). Suppl. material
Occurrence records were exported from xBio:D in a Darwin Core Archive, with records to specimen images included, using Audubon Core vocabularies. These records were subsequently loaded into the xBio:D IPT <http://xbiod.osu.edu/ipt/> as a new resource titled, “Fossil Platygastroidea of the
Images were produced using a Microvision Instruments imaging system with Cartograph software, a Z16 Leica lens and a JVC KY-F75U digital camera. Single montage images were produced from image stacks with the program CombineZP. In some cases, multiple montaged images were stitched together in Photoshop to produce larger images at high resolution and magnification. Full resolution images, and additional photographs of the taxa treated here, are archived in Specimage, the image repository associated with the Hymenoptera Online Database (http://purl.oclc.org/NET/hymenoptera/specimage) and MorphBank (http://www.morphbank.net).
Images in Morphbank are organized according to the their level of identification. Links to collections of the full resolution images are provided following the header for each taxon and include many images not included in the figures. In some cases, the photographs in the figures are flipped horizontally to provide consistent views of the specimens, with the head to the left. The images in Morphbank and Specimage are presented in their original orientations.
The images in Specimage may be retrieved by searching the CUID or the taxon name, and are organized in the project “Fossils of Platygastroidea in the
Our terminology largely follows
bs basiconic sensillum (Figs
eps episternal foveae (Fig.
fs facial striae (Fig.
mees mesepimeral sulcus (Fig.
mp mesopleural pit (Fig.
ms malar striae (Figs
pssu prespecular sulcus (Fig.
sc submedian carina on T1 (Fig.
shms mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus (Fig.
sk sublateral keel (Fig.
sv submarginal vein (Fig.
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Figures
Comments. Figures
1 Allostemma, female (USNMENT00764972), head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view 2 Allostemma burnneum, female (
3 Allostemma, female (USNMENT01059432), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 4 Allostemma, female (USNMENT01059432), head, mesosoma, ventrolateral view 5 Leptacis, female (USNMENT00903167), head, mesosoma, metasoma, posterodorsal view.
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Figure
Comments. Our determination of this specimen as Inostemma is based primarily on the 4-merous antennal clava and the submarginal vein of the fore wing terminating in a knob; the presence or absence of the felt field on metasomal S2 was not observable. The terminus of the submarginal vein is slightly bilobed in this specimen, a condition that we have not seen previously in Inostemma, but which we here attribute to intrageneric variability.
6 Leptacis, female (USNMENT01109283b), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 7 Inostemma, female (USNMENT00764965), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figure
Comments. Leptacis in Baltic amber (Fig.
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Figures
Comments. Hypotheses about the evolution of Platygaster are hampered by the nebulous limits of this genus and the huge number of species in the group that have yet to be divided into meaningful subgeneric groups. We found no characters among the species of Platygaster in Dominican amber that cannot be found in extant species. Examination of a specimen in Baltic amber (Figs
Platygaster female (USNMENT00764976), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view.
9 female (USNMENT01059275), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 10 female (USNMENT00764988), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 11 female (USNMENT00764975), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
12 Platygaster, female (USNMENT01109284), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 13 Platygaster, female (USNMENT01109284), head and antennae, lateral view 14 Allotropa, female (
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Figures
Comments. Fidiobia was the most abundant genus in the material we examined, undoubtedly the result of their association with the eggs of phytophagous beetles, Chrysomelidae and Curculionidae (
Fidiobia 15 female (USNMENT01029318), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 16 female (USNMENT01059277), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 17 female (USNMENT01059431), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Fidiobia, female (USNMENT00877716), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Parabaeus, female (USNMENT01059078), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Telenomus, female (USNMENT00989561), head, mesosoma, metaomsa, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Telenomus, 21 female (USNMENT01059075), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 22 female (USNMENT00989564), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 23 female (USNMENT00989562), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventrolateral view 24 female (USNMENT01059092), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Figure
Comments. We interpret specimen USNMENT00877715 to be the oldest known telenomine based on T2 as the largest tergite, broad laterotergites loosely attached to the sternites, 11-merous antenna, and wing venation that is typical for Telenominae.
Brues (1940) described Telenomus (Dissolcus) electrus from Baltic amber with some characteristics that are not found in extant telenomines- 12-merous antennae with a 7-merous clava, neither of which are known to us from the extant fauna. These may represent plesiomorphic states for the subfamily or may indicate that Telenomus electra belongs to a scelionine genus with which these characters are consistent.
25Telenominae, female (USNMENT008777715), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 26Scelioninae, female (USNMENT00979592), head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipositor, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figure
Comments. The presence of Aradophagus in amber is not surprising, given their association with spiders (
27 Aradophagus, female (USNMENT01109096), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 28 Embidobia, female (USNMENT01059276), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 29 Embioctonus, female (USNMENT01059080), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 30 Odontacolus (USNMENT00979980), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Calliscelio 31 female (USNMENT01059082), head, mesosoma, metasoma, posterolateral view 32 male (USNMENT01109332), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Comments. Calotelea is abundant in Dominican amber, represented by perhaps half a dozen species in the
Calotelea 33 female (USNMENT01109103), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 34 female (USNMENT01109126), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventrolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Calotelea 35 female (USNMENT01059376), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 36 female (USNMENT01109099), head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipositor, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Comments. Figures
Duta, female (USNMENT01059071) 37 head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipostior, dorsolateral view 38 head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipositor, ventrolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Comments. The 3-merous clava of the specimen illustrated in Figures
Embidobia, female (USNMENT01109100) 39 head, anterior view; mesosoma and metasoma, ventrolateral view 40 head, mesosoma, metasoma, posterolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Embidobia, female (USNMENT01109100) 41 head, lateral view; mesosoma and metasoma, ventrolateral view 42 head, mesosoma, metasoma, anterodorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
The clava in platygastroids has been defined in two ways, by width of the antennomere and by the presence of basiconic sensilla (Bin 1981).
Figure
43 Embioctonus, female (USNMENT01059112), head, ventrolateral view 44 Embioctonus, female (USNMENT01059113), antennal clava, lateral view 45 Embidobia, female (USNMENT01059111), antennal clava, ventral view 46 Palaeogryon muesebecki, holotype female (USNMENT01059240), head and antennae, anterolateral view 47 Embidobia urichi, paralectotype female (USNMENT01109249), head and antennae, anterior view 48 Palaeogryon, female (
Palaeogryon is remarkably similar to Sembilanocera Brues (Baltic amber, Figures
Sembilanocera, female (USNMENT01109280) 49 habitus, dorsolateral view 50 habitus ventrolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Comments. In addition to the characters presented by
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Figures
Gryon, female (USNMENT01059086), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Gryon 52 female (USNMENT01059072), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 53 female (USNMENT00989156), head and mesosoma, anterodorsal view 54 female (USNMENT00989156), head and mesosoma, posteroventral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Comments. Two generic concepts exist for Idris. One includes species in which females have T1 expanded dorsally into a horn and the other concept excludes these species, placing them in Ceratobaeus Ashmead.
We here follow the classification of
Idris 55 female (USNMENT01059079), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 56 female (USNMENT00903168), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 57 female (USNMENT00979982), habitus, dorsal view 58 female (USNMENT00979982), habitus, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Idris 59 female (USNMENT01059089), habitus, lateral view 60 female (USNMENT00979983), habitus, lateral view 61 female (USNMENT01059091), habitus, ventral view 62 female (USNMENT01109097), habitus, ventrolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figure
63 Leptoteleia, male (USNMENT01059088), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 64 Macroteleia, female (USNMENT01059074), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventrolateral view 65 Psilanteris, head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figure
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Figure
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Figures
Opisthacantha 66 female (USNMENT01059085), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 67 female (USNMENT01059085), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventrolateral view 68 male (USNMENT01059081), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 69 male (USNMENT01059081), head and mesosoma, dorsolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Female body length: 1.57–1.79 mm (n=3). Male body length: 1.56–1.68 mm (n=2). Number of basiconic sensilla on A8: 1. Width of clypeus: equal to or less than width of interantennal process. Lateral corner of clypeus: projecting into acute angle. Development of interantennal process ventrally: not reaching clypeus. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Length of mediofacial striae: not extending above midpoint of eye. Shape of gena in dorsal view: moderately receding behind compound eye. Striae on gena: pronounced. Length of striae on gena: extending above ventral margin of eye. Distribution of microsculpture on head: absent. Length of OOL: greater than 2 ocellar diameters. Occipital carina above foramen magnum: present. Anterior margin of occipital carina: comprised of small to miniscule cells. Setation of postgena: sparse. Ventral extent of occipital carina: uncertain, extending to base of mandible.
Transverse pronotal carina: present in posterior half of pronotum. Shape of pronotal shoulder in dorsal view: narrow and striplike. Form of pronotal suprahumeral sulcus: areolate.
Macrosculpture of anterior medial mesoscutum: absent. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Orientation of notauli: parallel. Shape of notaulus at posterior apex: ovoid. Macrosculpture of mesoscutellum: absent.
Postacetabular sulcus: smoothly furrowed. Mesopleural carina: absent. Punctures on posterodorsal mesepimeral area: large. Sculpture of mesopleuron anteroventral to femoral depression: densely punctate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly and on ventral surface. Sculpture of posterior mesepimeral area: smooth.
Form of metascutellum in female: bispinose. Form of metascutellum in male: bispinose.
Paracoxal and metapleural sulci: separate. Setation between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: absent. Sculpture between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: smooth. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose..
Anterior propodeal projection: absent. Setation of metasomal depression: absent. Sculpture of lateral propodeal area: punctate rugulose.
Macrosculpture of T1: longitudinally striate. Interstitial sculpture of T1: finely rugulose. Adornment of horn on T1 in female: transverse ridge at base of horn. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Microsculpture on T2: absent. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: straight. Carina along posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 in male: absent. Carina along posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 in female: present. Macrosculpture of T3 medially in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T3 laterally in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T3 medially in male: absent. Macrosculpture of T3 laterally in male: longitudinally striate. Constriction of apical T6 in female: present. Punctation of T6 in female: densely and finely punctate throughout. Form of S2 felt field: longitudinal row or patch of setigerous punctures. Macrosculpture of S2 medially: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of S3: absent.
Wing development: macropterous. Basal vein in hind wing: spectral. Length of postmarginalis: approximately equal to length of stigmalis. RS+M in fore wing: spectral.
Paridris yumai can be separated from most species of Paridris by the smooth clypeus that is narrower than the width across the toruli (Fig.
Paridris yumai 70 holotype female (USNMENT01059095), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 71 paratype female (USNMENT01059100), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Paridris yumai 72 paratype male (USNMENT01059077), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventrolateral view 73 paratype male (USNMENT00977548), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
74 Paridris lemete, paratype female (
In P. yumai the metascutellum is posteriorly emarginate, forming two lateral spines, separating it from P. lemete in which the posterior margin of the metascutellum is straight, forming a transverse strip (Fig.
This species is named for djembe teacher and herbalist, Yuma "Dr Yew" Bellomee, as an expression of appreciation. Yuma’s influence has increased the mental and physical health of the first author, in turn producing a positive effect on scientific productivity and general happiness.
We coded the morphology of P. yumai in the matrix provided in
Holotype, female: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:USNMENT01059095 (deposited in
Female body length: 1.40 mm (n=1). Sculpture of head: finely rugulose throughout. Occipital carina: complete. Cells along anterior margin of occipital carina: increasing in size ventrally.
Anterior margin of pronotum in dorsal view: transverse. Sculpture of dorsal pronotum: rugulose. Transverse pronotal carina anterior to epomial carina: present. Transverse pronotal carina posterior to epomial carina: present. Sculpture of lateral pronotum posterior to epomial carina: finely transversely striate. Pronotal cervical sulcus: indicated ventrally by line of large cells. Mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: comprised of deep cells across anterior margin of mesoscutum. Sculpture of mesoscutum: coarsely and deeply areolate rugose. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: coarsely and deeply areolate rugose. Lateral margin of axillar area: with line of cells in dorsal view. Size of cells along anterior margin of mesoscutellum: larger than cells of surrounding sculpture. Mesopleural carina: present as a strong ridge. Cells along dorsal margin of mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture of femoral depression: transversely rugose. Posterior mesepimeral sulcus: indicated by line of cells. Ventral mesopleuron: extending anteriorly between forecoxae.
Sculpture of anteroventral metapleuron: coarsely punctate-rugose. Sculpture of posterodorsal metapleuron: finely striate. Lateral portion of metanotal trough: comprised of large cells. Posterior propodeal projection: flat lamella that overlaps T1, fitting between sublateral keel and a short submedian carina.
Number of visible tergites: 6. Number of visible sternites: 6. Sublateral keels: present on T1–T4. Patch of fine setae on anterior part of lateral T1: present. Sculpture of T1–T4: coarsely areolate rugose. Sculpture of S1–S4: coarsely areolate rugose. Antecostal sulci of T2–T3: indicated by line of cells larger than surrounding sculpture. Sculpture of T6: finely punctate. Posterior margin of T6: emarginate. Patch of microsculpture on posteromedial S1: present. Cerci: visibly protruding from apex of metasoma.
Plaumannion fistulosum, holotype female (USNMENT00903996), head, mesosoma, metasoma, ventral view. Scale bar in millimeters.
Plaumannion fistulosum, holotype female (USNMENT00903996) 80 head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsolateral view 81 head and mesosoma, ventrolateral view 82 head and mesosoma, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Plaumannion fistulosum is closest to P. fritzi with which it shares a submedian carina on T1, coarse sculpture of the mesonotum and tergites, and a distinguishable mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus. These two species can readily be separated by the sculpture of the head: finely rugulose in P. fistulosum and coarsely areolate in P. fritzi; and by the sculpture in the dorsal part of the lateral pronotum: finely striate in P. fistulosum and smooth in P. fritzi. Plaumannion fistulosum is best separated from P. yepezi by the coarse and deep sculpture of the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, the distinct mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus, and the presence of submedian carinae on T1. Plaumannion fistulosum has 6 visible sternites, whereas P. yepezi and P. fritzi each have 5. We here expand the generic concept of Plaumannion to include species with 6 sternites.
The epithet fistulosum, meaning “full of holes” refers to the deeply areolate rugose sculpture found on this species.
Holotype, female: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:USNMENT00903996 (deposited in
Plaumannion is an exceptionally rare genus, known from only a handful of specimens. Its presence in amber suggests the possibility that this genus was more common in the past, and perhaps its biology, although unknown, predisposes it to preservation in tree resin.
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Figures
Probaryconus 83 female (USNMENT01109098), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 84 male (USNMENT01059379), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Probaryconus 85 female (USNMENT00764974), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 86 female (USNMENT01050360), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Comments. We here expand the concept of Spiniteleia to include a species without a spine on the posterior of the mesoscutellum. Figures
This species keys to couplet 36 in
Spiniteleia 87 female (USNMENT01059070), head, mesosoma, metasoma and ovipositor, ventral view 88 female (USNMENT01059070), head, anteroventral view 89 female (USNMENT01059070), head and mesosoma, lateral view 90 female (USNMENT00989622_1), head, anterior view 91 Spiniteleia campbelli, paratype female (USNMENT01029349), head, anterolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
92 Spiniteleia campbelli, paratype female (USNMENT01029349), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 93 Masnerella cincta (USNMENT01081153), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 94 Masnerella cincta (USNMENT01081153), mesosoma, lateral view 95 Masnerella cincta (USNMENT01081153), head, anterolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
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Figures
Triteleia, female (USNMENT01059083) 96 head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 97 head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Figures
Scelioninae, male (USNMENT01059096) 98 head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 99 head, anterior view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Figure
Specimen USNMENT00979592 (Fig.
Among described fossil species with a Scelio-type ovipositor, Chromoteleia theobaldi Maneval, described from Baltic amber, and Macroteleia renatae Szabó & Oehlke, 1986 are potentially the oldest. However, use of these determinations for dating a phylogenetic node may be problematic for multiple reasons. First, Baltic amber is typically dated at 40–60 million years of age, which is a very broad range, and the precise age is debated (
The phylogeny of Platygastroidea by
With the advent of increasingly sophisticated methods of ancestral state reconstruction, phylogeography and divergence time estimation, the importance of accurate recognition and description of fossil insect specimens continues to increase. Hand in hand, inaccurate paleontological research can undermine these advances, as the methods rely solely on the accuracy of various aspects of calibration and morphological interpretation. This concern is amplified by the fact that fossil species are represented by a paucity of specimens, some of which can be exceedingly difficult to obtain for research purposes (and hence, the universe of characters for examination is very limited). We hope that future work with fossils of this group, as well as all insect paleontology, will be done in concert with research on the extant fauna. Parallel, or even worse, divergent, insect systematics programs lead to a waste of time and resources, neither of which are in surplus in the current research climate.
This publication also highlights the wealth of data potentially available in a research museum, data that is unlocked by the keen eye of trained researchers. In this case, the eyes were separated by a generation and over 25 years, yet without the combined efforts of A. Rasnitsyn and the authors of this publication, all of the specimens surveyed here would remain in the dark, hopefully awaiting future discovery. This would be a loss for platygastroid systematics, as now we have data indicating that generic limits and ovipositor systems were well formed, in some cases, more than 40 million years ago, and these data may inform current research programs on platygastroids that are of considerable economic importance,e.g. Paratelonomus (
We extend our thanks to: Mark Florence, Jonathan Wingerath, Dale Greenwalt, Alan Rulis, Conrad Labandeira and Jorge Santiago-Blay (
URI table of HAO morphological terms
Data type: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (.xls)
Explanation note: This table lists the morphological terms used in this publication and their associated concepts in the Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology.
Specimen determinations
Data type: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (.xls)
Explanation note: This table lists the determinations and specimen identifiers for fossil specimens of Platygastroidea housed in the National Museum of Natural History.
Phylogenetic matrix
Data type: TNT matrix (.tnt)
Explanation note: This matrix is that of the combined morphological and molecular data in