Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 7 No. 5: October 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-10-30
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.5.8
Page range: 645–658
Abstract views: 174
PDF downloaded: 61

New species of braconid parasitoid wasps from the subfamilies Doryctinae and Brachistinae from late Eocene Baltic amber

Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg 199034, Russia
16405 Fox Valley Terrace, Rockville, Maryland, 20853, USA
Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er Circuito Exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, A. P. 70-233, C. P 04510, Ciudad de México, México
Eocene parasitoids wasp fossil Diospilini Blacini Brachistini Meteorus

Abstract

Three new fossil species of braconid wasps are described and illustrated from late Eocene Baltic amber: Palaeorhoptrocentrus tenuicornis sp. nov. (Doryctinae), Taphaeus obscurus sp. nov. (Brachistinae: Diospilini), and Eubazus electrus sp. nov. (Brachistinae: Brachistini). Keys to the known species of Palaeorhoptrocentrus Belokobylskij, 2023 and to species of Eubazus Nees, 1812 described from Baltic amber are provided. An illustrated redescription of Blacus (Electroblacus) facialis Brues, 1933 (Brachistinae: Blacini) is also provided, along with digital photographs for the first time of the female of B. (Electroblacus) facialis, whose type material was lost during the World War II. We also provide morphological notes and digital photographs of a male belonging to an undescribed species of Meteorus (Euphorinae).

References

  1. Achterberg, C. van (1982) The fossil species of the subfamily Blacinae described by C.T. Brues (Hym.: Braconidae). Entomologische Berichten, 42, 91–96.
  2. Achterberg, C. van (1993) Illustrated key to the subfamilies of the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea). Zoologische Verhandelingen, 283, 1–189.
  3. Belokobylskij, S.A. (2014) Family Braconidae. In: Antropov, A.V., Belokobylskij, S.A., Compton, S.G., Dlussky, G.M., Khalaim, A.I., Kolyada, V.A., Kozlov, M.A., Perfilieva, K.S. & Rasnitsyn, A.P. The wasps, bees and ants (Insecta: Vespida = Hymenoptera) from the Insect Limestone (Late Eocene) of the Isle of Wight, UK. Earth and Environmental Sciences Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 104 (3-4), 335–446. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755691014000103
  4. Belokobylskij, S.A., Dubovikoff, D.A., Manukyan, A.R. & Zharkov, D.M. (2021a) Braconid parasitoids of ants (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae, Neoneurini) from Baltic amber with a discussion of records of fossil larvae parasitizing ant workers. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 84, 29–43. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.84.67749
  5. Belokobylskij, S.A. & Maetô, K. (2009) Doryctinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of Japan. Fauna mundi, Vol. 1, Warszawska Drukarnia Naukowa, Warszawa, 806 pp.
  6. Belokobylskij, S.A. & Manukyan, A.R. (2023) Doryctinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from Baltic amber: description of a new genus and species. Zootaxa, 5249 (5), 577–584. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5249.5.4
  7. Belokobylskij, S.A. & Manukyan, A.R. (2024) Properhyssalus, a new fossil genus of braconid wasps close to the genus Rhyssalus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rhyssalinae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 5415 (4), 552–560. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5415.4.4
  8. Belokobylskij, S.A., Manukyan, A.R. & Zaldívar-Riverón, A. (2023) A new enigmatic cyclostome parasitoid wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rhyssalinae) with unusual ovipositor from Baltic amber. Palaeoentomology, 6 (6), 620–629. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.6.6.4
  9. Belokobylskij, S.A., Pankowski, M.G., Pankowski, M.V. & Zaldívar-Riverón A. (2021b) A new genus and three new species of fossil braconid wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonoidea) from Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers. Journal of Paleontology, 95, 1259–1272. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2021.47
  10. Belokobylskij, S.A., Tobias, V.I., Sharkey, M.J. & Taeger, A. (1998) Fam. Braconidae. In: Lehr, P.A. (Ed.), Key to insects of the Russian Far East. Neuropteroidea, Mecoptera, Hymenoptera, 4 (3), 8–656. [In Russian]
  11. Brues, C.T. (1910) The parasitic Hymenoptera of the Tertiary of Florissant, Colorado. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 54, 4–125.
  12. Brues, C.T. (1923) Some new fossil parasitic Hymenoptera from Baltic amber. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 58, 327–346. https://doi.org/10.2307/20025999
  13. Brues, C.T. (1933) The parasitic Hymenoptera of the Baltic amber. Bernstein Forschungen, 3, 4–178.
  14. Brues, C.T. (1939) New Oligocene Braconidae and Bethylidae from Baltic amber. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 32, 251–263. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/32.2.251
  15. Cockerell, T.D.A. (1921) Fossil arthropods in the British Museum.—V. Oligocene Hymenoptera from the Isle of Wight. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (9) 7, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222932108632485
  16. Davidian, E.M., Belokobylskij, S.A. & Manukyan, A.R. (2022) A new genus and species of the aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 5165 (4), 520–526. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5165.4.4
  17. Davidian, E.M., Manukyan, A.R. & Belokobylskij, S.A. (2023a) A new and the second fossil species of the genus Ephedrus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 5297 (4), 587–593. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5297.4.8
  18. Davidian, E.M., Manukyan, A.R. & Belokobylskij, S.A. (2023b) Third new fossil species of the genus Ephedrus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 5389 (3), 386–392. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5389.3.6
  19. Erwin, D.H. (2009) Climate as a driver of evolutionary change. Current Biology, 19 (14), R575–R583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.047
  20. Haliday, A.H. (1840) Braconides. In: Westwood, J.O. (Ed.), An Introduction to the modern classification of insects. Synopsis of the genera of British iInsects. Vol. 2. Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, London, 61–65.
  21. Iakovleva, A.I., Aleksandrova, G.N. & Mychko, E.V. (2022) Late Eocene (Priabonian) dinoflagellate cysts from Primorsky quarry, southeast Baltic coast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. Palynology, 46, 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.2021.1980743
  22. Larsson, S.G. (1978) Baltic amber—a palaeobiological study. Entomonograph 1. Scandinavian Science Press, Klampenborg, 192 pp. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004631243
  23. Paleobiology Database (2023) Available from: https://paleobiodb.org/#/ (accessed 20 January 2024)
  24. Pankowski, M.G. & Fanti, F. (2022) Two new fossil species of soldier beetles (Coleoptera, Cantharidae, Malthininae) from Baltic amber. Zootaxa, 5165 (4), 548–556. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5165.4.6
  25. Parisi, F. & Fanti, F. (2020) Baltic amber: A new Cacomorphocerus Schaufuss, 1892 with two specimens preserved in a single piece, and four new Malthodes Kiesenwetter, 1852. Zootaxa, 4778 (3), 546–560. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4778.3.6
  26. Rasnitsyn, A.P. & Quicke, D.L.J. (Eds) (2002) History of insects. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow, 517 pp.
  27. Sadowski, E.-M. (2017) Towards a new picture of the “Baltic amber forest”—flora, habitat types, and palaeoecology. PhD Thesis, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, v + 119 pp.
  28. Sadowski, E.-M., Schmidt, A.R., Seyfullah, L.J. & Kunzmann, L. (2017) Conifers of the “Baltic amber forest” and their palaeoecological significance. Stapfia, 106, 1–73.
  29. Sharkey, M.J. & Wharton, R.A. (1997) Morphology and terminology. In: Wharton, R.A., Marsh, P.M. & Sharkey, M.J. (Eds), Manual of the New World genera of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Special Publication, No. 1. International Society of Hymenopterists, Washington DC, 21–40.
  30. Statz, G. (1936) Ueber alte und neue fossile Hymenopterenfunde aus den tertiaren Ablagerungen von Rott am Siebengebirge. Decheniana, 93, 256–312.
  31. Statz, G. (1938) Neue Funde parasitischer Hymenopteren aus dem Tertiär von Rott am Siebengebirge. Decheniana, 98, 71–144.
  32. Tobias, V.I. (1987) New taxa of Braconidae from Baltic amber (Hymenoptera): Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie, 66, 845–859. [In Russian] [English translation, in Entomological Review, 67, 18–32.]
  33. Viereck, H.L. (1914) Type-species of genera of ichneumon flies. Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum,. 83, 1–186. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.83.1
  34. Wharton, R.A., Marsh, P.M & Sharkey, M.L (Eds) (1997) Manual of the New World genera of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Special Publication, No. 1. International Society of Hymenopterists, Washington, DC, 439 pp.
  35. Yu, D.S., Achterberg, C. van & Horstmann, K. (2016) Taxapad 2016. Ichneumonoidea 2015 (Biological and taxonomical information), Taxapad Interactive Catalogue Database on flash-drive. Nepean, Ottawa—www.taxapad.com