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New bethylid and chrysidid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber

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Abstract

A new bethylid species, Celonophamia granama, and two new chrysidid species, Procleptes eoliami, and P. hopejohnsonae, are described from Late Cretaceous (Campanian) amber collected at the Grassy Lake locality in Alberta, Canada. Within the deposit these taxa constitute the first bethylid, and the second and third chrysidid species to be described, respectively. The new taxa expand the sparse fossil record of Chrysidoidea, particularly that of Chrysididae—a group that was previously represented by only three described species in the Mesozoic. The presence of Celonophamia species in both Canadian amber and Siberian (Taimyr) amber further emphasizes faunal similarities between these two northern Late Cretaceous amber deposits. Given the prevalence of metallic coloration in Chrysididae, the specimens described here also provide evidence for the taphonomic alteration of perceived insect colors in Cretaceous amber inclusions.

Kurzfassung

Aus dem oberkretazischen (Campanium) Bernstein, vom Fundort Grassy Lake in Alberta (Kanada), werden eine neue Bethyliden-Art, Celonophamia granama, und zwei neue Chrysididen-Arten, Procleptes eoliami und P. hopejohnsonae, beschrieben. Innerhalb der Lagerstätte stellen diese Taxa die erste Bethyliden-Art und die zweite und dritte Chrysididen-Art dar. Die neuen Taxa erweitern die spärliche Fossil-Überlieferung der Chrysidoidea, insbesondere die der Chrysididae—eine Gruppe, die zuvor nur durch drei, aus dem Mesozoikum beschriebene Arten, repräsentiert wurde. Das Vorhandensein von Celonophamia-Arten im kanadischen und sibirischen (Taimyr-Halbinsel) Bernstein, betont zusätzlich die Ähnlichkeiten in der Fauna zwischen diese beiden nördlichen Oberkreide Bernstein-Vorkommen. Angesichts des Vorherrschens einer metallischen Färbung bei den Chrysididae, belegen die hier beschriebenen Exemplare aber auch die taphonomische Veränderung der Insekten-Farben in kreidezeitlichen Bernstein-Einschlüssen.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Danny Shpeley and Felix Sperling for assistance with the UASM collection, and Brandon Strilisky and James Gardner for assistance with the TMP collection. Comments from Torsten Wappler and handling editor Michael Rasser improved the original manuscript significantly. The Leuck family and Mark Elaschuk generously donated the UASM specimens, and Shane and Vicki Leuck also provided field assistance for this project. Support was provided by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship (to R.C.M.) and US National Science Foundation grants EF-0341724 and DEB-0542909 (to M.S.E.). This is a contribution of the Division of Entomology, University of Kansas Natural History Museum.

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McKellar, R.C., Engel, M.S. New bethylid and chrysidid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber. Paläontol Z 88, 433–451 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-013-0208-y

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