Description of three new genera and four new species of Neanastatinae (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae) from Baltic amber, with discussion of their relationships to extant taxa

Aspidopleura baltica gen. n. and sp. n., Brevivulva electroma gen. n. and sp. n., Neanaperiallus masneri gen. n. and sp. n., and Metapelma archetypon sp. n. are described in Neanastatinae (Chalcidoidea, Eupelmidae) from Baltic amber. New information is given on the morphology of Eopelma Gibson, Lambdobregma Gibson, Metapelma Westwood and Neanastatus Girault, the four extant genera previously classified in Neanastatinae, and the extinct and extant taxa are compared with other Chalcidoidea for hypotheses of character evolution and phylogenetic relationships. Structural features of Neanaperiallus and Aspidopleura indicate that except for a greatly enlarged acropleuron the groundplan structure of Neanastatinae was similar to male Eupelminae or some Cleonyminae (Pteromalidae). Furthermore, classification of Neanaperiallus in Neanastatinae results in no putative autapomorphies to support monophyly of the subfamily. Some features of Encyrtidae, Tanaostigmatidae and Neanastatinae suggest that the taxa may have had a common ancestor, therefore rendering Eupelmidae paraphyletic. A key to the seven recognized genera and a revised diagnosis of Neanastatinae are given.

Abstract licence: CC BY

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.