Diversity and phylogeny of the extinct wasp subfamily Lancepyrinae (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) revealed by mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

• Published in: Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny
• Main Authors: Brazidec, Manuel, Legendre, Frederic, Perrichot, Vincent
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: SENCKENBERG NATURHISTORISCHE SAMMLUNGEN DRESDEN, MUSEUM TIERKUNDE 2023
• Subjects: Chrysidoidea; Bethylidae; fossil record; taxonomy; Kachin amber; Hkamti amber; AGE; Entomology; Taimyr
• Online Access: http://ir.nigpas.ac.cn/handle/332004/42237; https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.81.e96737

The Lancepyrinae are an extinct subfamily of Bethylidae known exclusively from Cretaceous amber deposits of Lebanon, Spain, Taimyr and Myanmar. In this study, we describe and illustrate four new genera and five new species of lancepyrine wasps from the Albian of Hkamti and late Albian-early Cenomanian of Kachin (Myanmar): Azepyris delamarrei gen. et sp. nov., Burmapyris ohm-kuhnlei sp. nov., Gwesped groehni gen. et sp. nov., Paralanceis chotardi gen. et sp. nov. and Yunbayin rossei gen. et sp. nov. These taxa not only highlight the taxonomic diversity of the Lancepyrinae during the mid-Cretaceous but they also reveal the morphological disparity of the subfamily. To establish the phylogenetic relationships of these fossils and to check the monophyly of the Lancepy-rinae, we add them to a pre-existing morphological matrix and perform a cladistic analysis. We retrieve the subfamily as poorly supported yet monophyletic, with the newly described taxa deeply nested in it. A key to the genera of Lancepyrinae is provided. Finally, we erect the subfamily Cretabythinae subfam. nov. for the genera Cretabythus Evans, 1973, Holopsenelliscus Engel, 2019 and Megalopsenella Jouault et al., 2020 as no taxonomic treatment has been provided for these taxa after the transfer ofHolopsenella Engel et al., 2016 as Aculeata incertae sedis.