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Trichopria electrosinica Brazidec & Perrichot, 2025 Illustration by Laura Bruneau. |
Abstract
Following studies of the aculeate families Bethylidae, Chrysididae, Formicidae, and Apidae, we report here the Diapriidae, the fifth hymenopteran family from the middle Miocene Zhangpu amber of China. A fossil species belonging to Trichopria Ashmead, 1893 is described and figured from a male specimen. The new extinct species, Trichopria electrosinica n. sp., is characterized by the subround and hypognathous head, the flagellomeres each with 6–8 long setae, the metanotum with longitudinal keels, the petiole two times longer than wide and carinate, and the fore basitarsomere with a row of setae along the inner margin. Trichopria is one of the largest diapriid genus, with some species used in pest control program against fruit flies, but Trichopria electrosinica n. sp. is its first described fossil species. Its absence in older and long-known deposits is indicative of the disparate Diapriidae fossil record. Its occurrence in both China and Dominican Republic during the Miocene suggests that the genus was already widespread at that time.
Keywords: Systematics, China, amber, parasitic Hymenoptera, Diapriinae
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Artistic illustration of Trichopria electrosinica n. sp. in the Miocene Zhangpu forest. Illustration by Laura Bruneau. |
Order Hymenoptera Linnæus, 1758
Superfamily Diaprioidea Haliday, 1833
Family Diapriidae Haliday, 1833
Subfamily Diapriinae Haliday, 1833
Genus Trichopria Ashmead, 1893
Trichopria electrosinica n. sp.
Type locality: Zhangpu County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Horizon: Sedimentary layer II, Fotan Group; middle Miocene (Langhian), 14.7 Ma.
Diagnosis (male): Head subround, hypognathous (Fig. 2A); antennal shelf weakly prominent; eye located medially on head (Fig. 2A); scape 5 times longer than wide, clavate and compressed (Fig. 2A); flagellomere 1 almost cylindrical (Fig. 2B); flagellomeres 2–11 longer than wide, widened apico-medially (node-like); flagellomeres with whorled long setae (Fig. 2A); pronotum and propleuron with developed cushion of setae (Fig. 2C); scutellum with median carina, without posterior pits (Fig. 2D); metanotum with longitudinal keels (Fig. 2D); fore wing stigmal vein pointed (Fig. 2F); fore basitarsomere curved with row of long erect setae along inner margin (Fig. 1B); petiole carinate, 2 times longer than wide (Fig. 2E).
Etymology: Combination of electro-, from the Greek electron meaning amber, and -sinica, for the geographical origin, China.
Manuel Brazidec and Vincent Perrichot. 2025. The First fossil Species of Trichopria Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) from the Miocene Zhangpu biota. Palaeoworld. In Press, 200939. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2025.200939