Taxonomic addition to the early diverged parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Orussoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Corentin Jouault (1) , Vincent Perrichot (1) , André Nel (2)

1 GR - Géosciences Rennes
2 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité

A new genus and species of orussoid wasps, Cretorussus vilhelmseni gen. et sp. nov., is described based on new material from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Its wing venation and body characters lead us to emend the diagnosis of the family Burmorussidae. Cretorussus vilhelmseni gen. et sp. nov. is considered to be a specialized parasitic wasp of wood-living hosts because of the orussid-like ocellar crown, antennae attached well above clypeus, and antennal grooves absent. Interestingly, the third tarsomere carries a prominent lanceolate lobe, serving as part of the host detection. We propose a summary of the orussoid fossil diversity. Lastly, we discuss the implications of several characters of Burmorussidae that are involved in host detection.

Keywords: Insecta; Symphyta; Mesozoic; Burmorussidae; Parasitic wasps

Domains: Paleontology

Corentin Jouault, Vincent Perrichot, André Nel. Taxonomic addition to the early diverged parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Orussoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 2021, 132 (3), pp.324-331. ⟨10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.02.002⟩. ⟨insu-03203872⟩