A new parasitoid wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil: The first Mesozoic Pteromalidae

Nathan Barling, Sam W. Heads, David M. Martill

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A new genus and species of small (3.5mm excluding ovipositor) parisitoid wasp is described from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Crato Formation Lagerstätte of Brazil. Parviformosus wohlrabeae gen. et sp. nov. is known from a single female imago and is assigned to Pteromalidae. It is diagnosed by the robustness of the scutellum, the structure, size and positioning of the mesopleuron, the complexity of the propodeum-petiole junction and a posteriorly curved dorsal 'lip' on metasomal segment 4. At only 3.5mm in length, P.wohlrabeae is the smallest fossil wasp from the Cretaceous of South America and the first Mesozoic representative of Pteromalidae.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)258-264
Number of pages7
JournalCretaceous Research
Volume45
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2013

Keywords

  • Aptian
  • Brazil
  • Chalcidoidea
  • Crato Formation
  • Hymenoptera
  • Pteromalidae

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Palaeontology

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