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A braconid wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from the Lower Cretaceous amber of San Just, eastern Iberian Peninsula
Álvarez-Parra, Sergio Peñalver, Enrique Delclòs, Xavier Engel, Michael S.
Álvarez-Parra, Sergio
Peñalver, Enrique
Delclòs, Xavier
Engel, Michael S.
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Abstract
Braconid parasitoid wasps are a widely diversified group today, while their fossil record from the Mesozoic is currently poorly known. Here, we describe Utrillabracon electropteron Álvarez-Parra & Engel, gen. et sp. nov., from the upper Albian (Lower Cretaceous) amber of San Just in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. The holotype specimen is incomplete, although the forewing and hind wing venation are well preserved. The new taxon is assigned to the subfamily †Protorhyssalinae (Braconidae) and, based on characteristics of the wing venation, seems to be closely related to Protorhyssalus goldmani Basibuyuk & Quicke, 1999 and Diorhyssalus allani (Brues, 1937), both from Upper Cretaceous ambers of North America. We discuss the taxonomy of the Cretaceous braconids, considering †Seneciobraconinae as a valid subfamily. We also comment on possible relationships within †Protorhyssalinae, although a phylogenetic analysis is necessary. Additionally, a checklist is included of braconids known from Cretaceous ambers.
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Date
2022-05-30
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Pensoft Publishers
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Keywords
Albian, Fossil, Ichneumonoidea, Protorhyssalinae, Spanish amber, Taxonomy, Wasp diversity, Wing venation
Citation
Álvarez-Parra S, Peñalver E, Delclòs X, Engel MS (2022) A braconid wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from the Lower Cretaceous amber of San Just, eastern Iberian Peninsula. ZooKeys 1103: 65-78. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1103.83650