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Members of several insect orders are known to modify osseous vertebrate remains postmortem, whether for nutritional or habitational purposes. Recognizing the appearance of these taphonomic traces is important in the evaluation of skeletal remains recovered from forensic and archaeological contexts. Thus far, ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) have only been anecdotally noted in the literature to modify bone as a presumed food resource and have not yet been shown to modify human bone. This paper presents a contemporary case where a colony of ants was directly observed nesting inside human bone and describes the appearance of modified entrances into their repurposed medullary cavity dwellings. This case may prompt further considerations of ants as agents of bone modification, how and why such behaviors occur, and how to recognize these ichnological traces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaniid wasps develop as solitary egg predators within the oothecae of cockroaches. Fossil evaniids are relatively common compared with most other parasitoid Hymenoptera, undoubtedly due to their searching for host cockroaches on tree trunks and thus an increased chance of being trapped in tree resin. The genus Parevania Kieffer, 1907 is widely distributed through the Old World and is also known from a small number of rather unremarkable fossil taxa. Here we add to this extinct fauna Parevania oculiseparata Jennings, Krogmann, and Austin new species from Baltic Eocene amber, a species that has highly modified compound eyes that are unique among the Hymenoptera, and possibly among insects as a whole. Parevania oculiseparata n. sp. possesses a prominent acute ridge extending across the entire dorso-ventral elongation of the eye surface. Modifications to the regular curved surface of the eyes are extremely rare among Hymenoptera and previously were only known from two species of Inostemma Haliday, 1833 (Platygastridae s. s.) and the three known species of Isomerala Shipp, 1894 (Eucharitidae). In describing this unusual fossil evaniid species, we also analyze the optical consequences of the eye surface discontinuity, and discuss different types of compound eye modifications that occur in other Hymenoptera and other insects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Cleptoparasitism is a way of life involving the theft of resources by one animal from another. This behaviour occurs in many bee tribes but its origin and evolution remain obscure, particularly owing to the relative scarcity of bees in the fossil record. Hitherto, no fossil evidence has been recorded to trace the origin of cleptoparasitim among bees. In the current study, we present the first cleptoparasitic bee fossil, providing analyses of its taxonomic affinities and a complete description. The specimen also happens to be one of the earliest bee fossils, having been discovered in the spongo-diatomitic volcanic paleolake of Menat ( Paleocene) in France. We employed geometric morphometrics of the forewing shape to assess the taxonomic affinities of the fossil with modern apoid tribes. Our dataset included 979 specimens representing 50 tribes and 225 extant species. Based on linear and geometric morphometrics, we demonstrate that the fossil's forewing shape is similar to that of Apidae, and particularly to that of the tribe Epeolini ( Nomadinae). The fossil is described as Paleoepeolus micheneri gen.n., sp.n. and provides the first direct evidence on the antiquity of cleptoparasitism among bees. This published work has been registered in Zoo Bank, . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten distinctive new species of the taxonomically difficult braconine wasp genusGammabraconQuicke, 1984 are described:G. apicoluteussp. nov. from Malaysia (Negri);G. curticornissp. nov. from Malaysia (Negri);G. philippinensissp. nov. from the Philippines;G. siamensissp. nov. from Thailand;G. striatussp. nov. from West Malaysia;G. strandorumsp. nov. from Indonesia (Java),G. subvenasp. nov. from Malaysia (Negri and Sabah);G. townesorumsp. nov. from the Philippines;G. variipennissp. nov. from Thailand; andG. wegenerisp. nov. from Indonesia.Myosoma forticarinataCameron, 1902 is transferred toGammabracon, henceGammabracon forticarinatacomb. nov. A lectotype is designated forGammabracon erythroura(Cameron). The status ofCratobracon strandiellus(Cameron) is discussed and a new combination proposed,Shelfordia strandiellusCameron, 1910 comb. nov. (=Bracon strandiellusCameron). Paucity of discrete morphological variation makes separation of most of the species with orange-red mesosoma, black metasoma and conspicuous back setae currently unrealistic and it may be that there is a single widespread and morphologically variable species. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:56B8884E-99C8-4B53-9747-D011F552312D [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The phylogeny of the superfamily Pamphilioidea is reconstructed using morphology and DNA sequence data of living and fossil taxa by employing two phylogenetic methods (maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference). Based on our results, the monophyly of Pamphilioidea and Pamphiliidae are corroborated, whereas two extinct families, Xyelydidae and Praesiricidae, are not monophyletic. Because members of Praesiricidae together with Megalodontes form a monophyletic group, we propose that the paraphyletic Praesiricidae is synonymized under Megalodontesidae (syn. nov.). The origin of Pamphilioidea is hypothesized to be as early as the Early Jurassic. To better understand morphological evolution in the early lineages of Pamphilioidea, ancestral states of the first flagellomere and the first and second abdominal terga are reconstructed on the morphology-based tree. In addition, three new genera ( Medilyda, Brevilyda, Strenolyda) with five new species ( Medilyda procera, M. distorta, Brevilyda provecta, Strenolyda marginalis and S. retrorsa) are described based on well-preserved xyelydid fossils from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of north-eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new subfamily of Praesiricidae (Pamphilioidea), Decorisiricinae subfam. n., is erected based on three new genera: Decorisiricius gen.n., Limbisiricius gen.n. and Brevisiricius gen.n. Two new species - Decorisiricius patulus gen. et sp.n. and D. longus sp.n. - from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation and three species -Limbisiricius aequalis gen. et sp.n., Limbisiricius complanatus sp.n. and Brevisiricius partialis gen. et sp.n. - from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation, are described. Based on these well-preserved new fossil specimens and previously published data, the nonmonophyly of Praesiricidae is confirmed and the phylogenetic relationships of species of Praesiricidae are analysed for the first time. Two main clades within Praesiricidae are recognized from the cladistic analysis: Decorisiricinae subfam.n. forms a monophyletic lineage, with the remaining members of Praesiricidae plus Megalodontes (Megalodontesidae) forming its sister group. The two subfamilies Archoxyelydinae and Praesiricinae are discarded with no strong supported synapomorphic characters based on phylogenetic research. A key to all genera of Praesiricidae is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spider wasps had long been proposed to originate in the Late Cretaceous based on the Burmese amber fossil Bryopompilus interfector. We performed a morphological examination of this fossil and determined that it does not belong to Pompilidae or any other described hymenopteran family. Instead, we place it in the new family Bryopompilidae. The oldest verifiable member of the Pompilidae is from Baltic amber, which suggests that the crown group of the family probably originated in the Eocene, not in the Late Cretaceous as previously proposed. The origin of spider wasps appears to be correlated with an increase in spider familial diversity in the Cenozoic. We also add two genera to the extinct pompilid fauna: Tainopompilus Rodriguez and Pitts gen. nov. and Paleogenia Waichert and Pitts gen. nov., and describe three new species of fossil spider wasps: Anoplius planeta Rodriguez and Pitts sp. nov., from Dominican amber (Burdigalian to Langhian); Paleogenia wahisi Waichert and Pitts sp. nov., from Baltic amber (Lutetian to Priabonian); and Tainopompilus argentum Rodriguez and Pitts sp. nov., from Dominican amber (Chattian to Langhian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotopes provide a powerful means of elucidating the trophic ecology of organisms. Analyses of variation in the ratio of nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) can provide insights into the trophic position of species with broad diets and the ability to occupy multiple positions in food webs, such as ants. The most powerful studies compare subjects across various spatial scales, but to do so, local variation in δ15N baselines must be taken into account. To date, a wide variety of baseline calibration methods have been employed, leading some authors to suggest that a standard approach is needed, and that the reality of environmental variation necessitates that this should be at fine scales. In this study, we examine the fine-scale variation in δ15N value of colonies of the ant Formica kozlovi Dlussky (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicini) along a sloped transect in Mongolia, and compare these with values for associated soils in an effort to shed further light on this issue. We find variation in ant δ15N to the order of one trophic level (ca. 3&), over a distance of only 1 km. Ant δ15Nwas highly correlated with soil δ15N, and variation in mineral soil δ15N explained ca. 81% of the variation in ant δ15N. This study underlines the importance of local-scale baseline corrections for isotopic studies, particularly in environments where baseline variation might be expected. It further suggests that δ15N ofmineral soils may provide a suitable baseline for ecological studies of terrestrial arthropods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees (Anthophila) are one of the major groups of angiosperm-pollinating insects and accordingly are widely studied in both basic and applied research, for which it is essential to have a clear understanding of their phylogeny, and evolutionary history. Direct evidence of bee evolutionary history has been hindered by a dearth of available fossils needed to determine the timing and tempo of their diversification, as well as episodes of extinction. Here we describe four new compression fossils of bees from three different deposits (Miocene of la Cerdanya, Spain; Oligocene of Céreste, France; and Eocene of the Green River Formation, U.S.A.). We assess the similarity of the forewing shape of the new fossils with extant and fossil taxa using geometric morphometrics analyses. Predictive discriminant analyses show that three fossils share similar forewing shapes with the Apidae [one of uncertain tribal placement and perhaps near Euglossini, one definitive bumble bee (Bombini), and one digger bee (Anthophorini)], while one fossil is more similar to the Andrenidae. The corbiculate fossils are described as Euglossopteryx biesmeijeri De Meulemeester, Michez, & Engel, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Euglossopteryx Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) and Bombus cerdanyensis Dehon, De Meulemeester, & Engel, sp. nov. They provide new information on the distribution and timing of particular corbiculate groups, most notably the extension into North America of possible Eocene-Oligocene cooling-induced extinctions. Protohabropoda pauli De Meulemeester & Michez, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Protohabropoda Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) reinforces previous hypotheses of anthophorine evolution in terms of ecological shifts by the Oligocene from tropical to mesic or xeric habitats. Lastly, a new fossil of the Andreninae, Andrena antoinei Michez & De Meulemeester, sp. nov., further documents the presence of the today widespread genus Andrena Fabricius in the Late Oligocene of France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new genera with two new species of sawflies, Cathayxyela extensa gen. et sp. nov. and Aequixyela immensa gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of southeastern Inner Mongolia, China, are assigned to the subfamily Xyelinae (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae). Cathayxyela gen. nov. can be distinguished by the third antennal article longer than the head; mesoprescutum and mesoscutellum nearly equal in length; the forewing with Sc meeting C before the junction of 1-M and 1-Rs; a weak and narrow pterostigma; and 3-Cu at least 1.5 times longer than the 1m-cu. Aequixyela gen. nov. is characterized by the third antennal article nearly as long as the head; the forewing with Rs+M approximately equal to 2-Rs in length; 2m-cu inclined toward the wing base and nearly reaching the middle of cell 3rm; 1m-cu as long as the 2-Cu and 3-Cu; and the cell 2cua of regular hexagonal shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platygastroid wasp diversity in Álava amber is reviewed. Platygastroids are the most numerous group of Hymenoptera in Spanish amber, a pattern typical for many Cretaceous amber deposits, with species of the superfamily sometimes more abundant than all other arthropod lineages. Herein we report on 87 specimens, 62 of them sufficiently preserved to permit specific identification, and all dating from the Lower Cretaceous (middle Albian). Eight new genera and nine new species are described and figured as Proterosceliopsis gen. nov., Proterosceliopsis masneri sp. nov., Bruescelio gen. nov., Bruescelio platycephalus sp. nov., Tithonoscelio gen. nov., Tithonoscelio resinalis sp. nov., Amissascelio gen. nov., Amissascelio temporarius sp. nov., Juxtascelio gen. nov., Juxtascelio interitus sp. nov., Alavascelio gen. nov., Alavascelio delvallei sp. nov., Electroteleiopsis gen. nov., Electroteleiopsis hebdomas sp. nov., Perimoscelio gen. nov., Perimoscelio tyrbastes sp. nov., and P. confector sp. nov. Morphological interspecific variability is low, hindering identification, and as such, taxa are principally diagnosed on structure of the female antenna, tibial spur formula, mesoscutal form, and head and metasomal anatomy. The taxa are discussed in relation to other fossil lineages of platygastroids as well as modern counterparts. All species belong to the "Scelionidae", a paraphyletic group relative to Platygastridae as currently circumscribed (including Platygastrinae, Scelioninae, Teleasinae, Telenominae). Platygastroid diversity will certainly rise in Spanish amber as abundant new material becomes available from the El Soplao and San Just outcrops. The name Jordanoscelio nom. nov. is proposed to replace the homonymous Microptera Kaddumi for a Jordanian amber (Early Cretaceous) genus of Scelionidae, resulting in Jordanoscelio attiki (Kaddumi) comb. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new fossil species, Archaeohelorus polyneurus sp. n. and A. tensus sp. n., assigned to the genus Archaeohelorus Shih, Feng & Ren, 2011 of Heloridae (Hymenoptera), are reported from the late Middle Jurassic, Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. Based on the well-preserved forewings and hind wings of these specimens, the diagnosis of the Archaeohelorus is emended: forewing 2cu-a intersecting Cu and Rs+M at the same point or postfurcal, and hind wing may have tubular veins C, Sc+R, R, Rs, M+Cu, M and Cu distinct, or simplified venation. The new findings also elucidate the evolutionary trend of forewing and hind wing venation and body size for the Heloridae from the late Middle Jurassic to now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species and two new genera are described within the wasp family Ichneumonidae from Late Cretaceous (Campanian) amber collected at the Grassy Lake locality in Alberta, Canada. New taxa include Pareubaeus rasnitsyni n. gen. et sp. and P. incertus n. sp. within the subfamily Labenopimplinae, and Albertocryptus dossenus n. gen. et sp. within the subfamily Labeninae. The presence of a labenopimpline genus closely related to Eubaeus Townes within Canadian amber further supports faunal similarity between the Canadian assemblage and that recovered from Siberian amber. The records of Labeninae are the first from Mesozoic amber, and demonstrate that the subfamily was present in the Northern Hemisphere in the Late Cretaceous, as opposed to their modern, predominantly austral distribution. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species are described within the ant subfamily Dolichoderinae (Formicidae). Chronomyrmex medicinehatensis gen. et sp. nov. McKellar, Glasier & Engel provides a solid example of Dolichoderinae within the Campanian Grassy Lake amber of southern Alberta (Late Cretaceous, 78-79 Ma). The new species fills a void in the dolichoderine fossil record left by Eotapinoma canadensis Dlussky, a putative dolichoderine whose taxonomic placement has been questioned, and whose type material has been lost. As such, C. medicinehatensis provides a constraint for divergence times of the subfamily and Leptomyrmecini, one of its recently resurrected tribes. This discovery greatly extends the proposed divergence time for Dolichoderinae, and likely Leptomyrmecini, to more than 78 Ma - contrary to some of the more recent estimates inferred from molecular phylogenies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominocephala vibrissaegen. et sp. nov.is described from lower Miocene to mid-Oligocene Dominican amber. The new species represents the first fossil record of the pteromalid subfamily Cerocephalinae within the megadiverse parasitoid superfamily Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Selected morphological characters of the new species are discussed from a phylogenetic perspective with reference to extant cerocephaline taxa. An updated key to the genera of world Cerocephalinae is presented.D. vibrissaewas trapped in resin with a number of other insects, including six specimens of ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Platypodidae), which represent a possible host species of the new species. The fossil provides a minimum age of 23–30 Ma for the subfamily Cerocephalinae and for a potential host switch within Chalcidoidea to endophytic (wood-, cone- or seed-boring) beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenies are usually dated by calibrating interior nodes against the fossil record. This relies on indirect methods that, in the worst case, misrepresent the fossil information. Here, we contrast such node dating with an approach that includes fossils along with the extant taxa in a Bayesian total-evidence analysis. As a test case, we focus on the early radiation of the Hymenoptera, mostly documented by poorly preserved impression fossils that are difficult to place phylogenetically. Specifically, we compare node dating using nine calibration points derived from the fossil record with total-evidence dating based on 343 morphological characters scored for 45 fossil (4--20 complete) and 68 extant taxa. In both cases we use molecular data from seven markers (∼5 kb) for the extant taxa. Because it is difficult to model speciation, extinction, sampling, and fossil preservation realistically, we develop a simple uniform prior for clock trees with fossils, and we use relaxed clock models to accommodate rate variation across the tree. Despite considerable uncertainty in the placement of most fossils, we find that they contribute significantly to the estimation of divergence times in the total-evidence analysis. In particular, the posterior distributions on divergence times are less sensitive to prior assumptions and tend to be more precise than in node dating. The total-evidence analysis also shows that four of the seven Hymenoptera calibration points used in node dating are likely to be based on erroneous or doubtful assumptions about the fossil placement. With respect to the early radiation of Hymenoptera, our results suggest that the crown group dates back to the Carboniferous, ∼309 Ma (95% interval: 291--347 Ma), and diversified into major extant lineages much earlier than previously thought, well before the Triassic. [Bayesian inference; fossil dating; morphological evolution; relaxed clock; statistical phylogenetics.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An overview of the hymenopteran (sawflies, wasps, ants, and bees) taxa known from Canadian Late Cretaceous (Campanian) amber is presented. These taxa are discussed in the context of hymenopteran phylogeny and the fossil assemblages within other well-known Cretaceous ambers. This provides some insight into the taxa present in the region subsequent to the Mesozoic diversification of the order, and just prior to the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Fossil records of Hymenoptera within Canadian amber are revised, and future work and expectations for hymenopterans within the deposit are also outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The taxonomic placement of an enigmatic species of wasp known from two specimens in Late Cretaceous New Jersey amber is investigated through cladistic analyses of 90 morphological characters for 33 terminals ranging across non-Aculeata, non-Chrysidoidea, most subfamilies of Chrysidoidea and all genera of Plumariidae (the family to which the fossils were initially assigned), based on use of exemplars. The fossil taxon is apparently basal in Chrysidoidea, most likely sister to Plumariidae, but perhaps sister to the remaining chrysidoids, or even sister to Chrysidoidea as a whole. It is described as representing a new family, Plumalexiidae fam. n., containing a single species, Plumalexius rasnitsyni gen. et sp. n. Previous estimates of relationships for the genera of Plumariidae and for the higher taxa of Chrysidoidea are mostly confirmed. The importance of outgroup choice, and additivity and weighting of characters are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryinus rasnitsyni sp. n. is described from amber collected in the Dominican Republic. A revision and a key to the fossil Neotropical species of Dryinus Latreille, 1804 belonging to the lamellatus species group is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compression fossils of three genera and six species of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) are described from 46 million year old Kishenehn oil shales in Montana, USA. Two new genera are described: Eoeustochus Huber, gen. n., with two included species, E. kishenehn Huber (type species) and E. borchersi Huber, sp. n., and Eoanaphes., gen. n., with E. stethynioides Huber, sp. n. Three new species of Gonatocerus are also described, G. greenwalti Huber, sp. n. , G. kootenai Huber, sp. n., and G. rasnitsyni Huber, sp. n. Previously described amber fossil genera are discussed and five genera in Baltic amber are tentatively recorded as fossils: Anagroidea, Camptoptera, Dorya, Eustochus, and Mimalaptus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myanmymar aresconoides gen n., sp. n. is described from one female in Burmese amber, dated as about 100 my. It is similar to Arescon on wing features but is unique among Mymaridae in having distinctly segmented palpi. It is the fifth mymarid genus definitely referable to the Cretaceous period. A key to Cretaceous mymarid genera is presented and the features of Myanmymar are compared with the other Cretaceous and extant mymarid genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disogmus rasnitsyni Kolyada & Perkovsky, sp. n. is described from a fossil inclusion of Late Eocene amber (Ukraine). The new species is most similar to D. basalis (Thomson, 1857), in particular, in the shape of the tyloids and the general shortening of the segments of antennae, but distinctly differs from it and the other species of the genus by having tyloids on flagellar segments 2-4 compared to 3-6 and 4-7 in other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New material of the wasp family Maimetshidae (Apocrita) is presented from four Cretaceous amber deposits - the Neocomian of Lebanon, the Early Albian of Spain, the latest Albian/earliest Cenomanian of France, and the Campanian of Canada. The new record from Canadian Cretaceous amber extends the temporal and paleogeographical range of the family. New material from France is assignable to Guyotemaimetsha enigmatica Perrichot et al. including the first females for the species, while a series of males and females from Spain are described and figured as Iberomaimetsha Ortega-Blanco, Perrichot & Engel, gen. n., with the two new species Iberomaimetsha rasnitsyni Ortega-Blanco, Perrichot & Engel, sp. n. and I. nihtmara Ortega-Blanco, Delclòs & Engel, sp. n.; a single female from Lebanon is described and figured as Ahiromaimetsha najlae Perrichot, Azar, Nel & Engel, gen. et sp. n., and a single male from Canada is described and figured as Ahstemiam cellula McKellar & Engel, gen. et sp. n. The taxa are compared with other maimetshids, a key to genera and species is given, and brief comments made on the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deinodryinus velteni sp. n. is described from middle Eocene Baltic amber. The species differs from other fossil Palaearctic species of Deinodryinus Perkins owing to the shape of the antenna (clavate, with distal part very thickened), the large compound eyes, and the distal part of the stigmal vein much longer than the proximal part. A revision and a key to the fossil Palaearctic species of Deinodryinus Perkins, 1907 is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephinae is traditionally divided into three tribes and about 24 genera based on morphology and host utilization. There has been no study testing the monophyly of taxa under a strict phylogenetic criterion. A molecular phylogeny of Cephinae based on a total of 68 sequences of mtDNA COI gene, representing seven genera of Cephinae, is reconstructed to test the traditional limits and relationships of taxa. Monophyly of the traditional tribes is not supported. Monophyly of the genera are largely supported except for Pachycephus. A few host shift events are suggested based on phylogenetic relationships among taxa. These results indicate that a more robust phylogeny is required for a more plausible conclusion. We also report two species of Cephus for the first time from Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The head capsule of a taxon sample of three outgroup and 86 ingroup taxa is examined for characters of possible phylogenetic significance within Hymenoptera. 21 morphological characters are illustrated and scored, and their character evolution explored by mapping them onto a phylogeny recently produced from a large morphological data set. Many of the characters are informative and display unambiguous changes. Most of the character support demonstrated is supportive at the superfamily or family level. In contrast, only few characters corroborate deeper nodes in the phylogeny of Hymenoptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sycorax peruensis sp.n. is the first blood sucking fossil Psychodidae in South America. The new species mainly differs from all recent Neotropical Sycoracinae in its number of antennal segments. It is described from the middle Miocene Western Amazonian amber, which included an intertropical entomofauna previous to the land connection with Central and North America that occurred in the latest MiocenePliocene. Insects from this material are diverse with normal bias for amber inclusions of Diptera and Hymenoptera and small-sized specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fauna of false fairy wasps (Proctotrupomorpha: Bipetiolarida: Mymarommatoidea) occurring in Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from north and north-eastern Spain (Moraza, San Just, and El Soplao outcrops) is described. In total, 12 specimens have been recovered and four species recognized, all new: Alavaromma orchamum gen. nov. and sp. nov. (Alavarommatidae fam. nov.), Archaeromma hispanicum sp. nov. (Mymarommatidae), Galloromma alavaensis sp. nov., and G. turolensis sp. nov. (Gallorommatidae). The study indicates the necessity of revision and maybe fusion of both superfamilies, Mymarommatoidea and Serphitoidea, as the boundaries between them are less and less defined. However, major classificatory rearrangements must await the completion of the cladistic studies presently underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The diversity of serphitid wasps (Proctotrupomorpha: Serphitoidea) in Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from Spain is described. Four new species have been found representing the genera Serphites Brues 1937, Aposerphites Kozlov and Rasnitsyn 1979, and Microserphites Kozlov and Rasnitsyn 1979. From the Peñacerrada I (Moraza) outcrop two species are described as Aposerphites angustus Ortega-Blanco, Delclòs, Peñalver and Engel, new species and Serphites lamiak, new species. A single species was found at the San Just (Teruel) outcrop and is described as S. silban, new species. Another single specimen was found in El Soplao (Cantabria) outcrop, described as Microserphites soplaensis, new species. This last specimen is especially interesting in sharing typical serphitid and mymarommatoid characters, giving additional support to the apparent close relationship of both groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two new species: Loboscelidia levigata sp. nov. and Loboscelidia striolata sp. nov. from China are described and illustrated. A key to the Chinese species is provided. Specimens are deposited in the Hymenoptera Collection of South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou (SCAU). In addition, L. sinensis and L. guangxiensis are redescribed from material collected with L. levigata and L. striolata . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megalopta Smith, 1853, is a Neotropical genus of nocturnal or crepuscular bees. Two subgenera are recognized with most of its nearly 30 species placed in the nominate subgenus. Species of Megalopta s. str. are more commonly collected than species of Noctoraptor Engel et al. 1997, all presumably parasites of Megalopta s. str. Two new species of Megalopta are described here: M. (Megalopta) tetewana, n. sp., from Mexico and M. (Noctoraptor) huaoranii, n. sp., from Ecuador. Identification keys to the Central American species of Megalopta s. str. and the species of the parasitic subgenus Noctoraptor are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the research conducted regarding the different bee species that can be found in Pennsylvania. It notes that Pennsylvania is surrounded by different geological regions and their plant communities provide a unique environment for bee species. Since 2005, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) bee house inspection service is conducting research and surveys for native bee fauna in the region, in which the main goal is to establish biodiversity and habitat data for the development of native pollinator practices. It also presents the checklist of all the bee species verified and reported by the major institutions of insect study including Academy of Natural Science (Philadelphia), Penn State University, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Specialization in species interactions is of central importance for understanding the ecological structure and evolution of plant-animal mutualisms. Most plant-animal mutualisms are facultative and strongly asymmetric. In particular, myrmecochory (seed dispersal by ants) has been regarded as a very generalized interaction. Although some recent studies have suggested that only a few ant species are really important for dispersal, no rigorous measurement of the specialization in ant-seed dispersal mutualisms has been performed. Here, we use individual plants as basic units for replication to investigate the generalization-specialization of the herb Hellchorus foetidus on its ant dispersers over a considerable part of its geographical range. We define generalization in terms of diversity components (species richness and evenness) of the ant visitor that realizes dispersal by removing diaspores. We obtain truly comparable values of ant visitor diversity, distinguishing among different functional groups of visitors and identifying incidental visitors and real ant dispersers. Using null model approaches, we test the null hypothesis that ant-mediated dispersal is a generalized mutualism. At least two premises should be confirmed to validate the hypothesis: (1) diaspores are dispersed by multiple ant-visitor species, and (2) diaspore dispersal is significantly equitable. Though up to 37 ant species visited diaspores across 10 populations, only two large formicines, Camponotus cruentatus and Formica lugubris, were responsible for the vast majority of visits resulting in dispersal in most populations and years, which strongly suggests that ant seed dispersal in H. foetidus is ecologically specialized. Interestingly, specialization degree was unrelated to dispersal success across populations. Our study offers new insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of myrmecochory. We propose the existence of an alternative scenario to extensive generalization. In this new scenario, generalization is replaced by ecological specialization, which is determined by the intrinsic traits of the plant species rather than by the ecological context in which the interaction takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new genera, including three new species assigned to the subfamily Iscopininae Rasnitsyn, 1980 and family Pelecinidae Haliday, 1840--Archaeopelecinus tebbei, gen. et sp. nov., A. jinzhouensis, gen. et sp. nov., and Cathaypelecinus daohugouensis gen. et sp. nov.--are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Eastern Inner Mongolia, China. This article documents the earliest record of fossil pelecinid wasps, extending the pelecinid existence to the Middle Jurassic and suggesting origination of pelecinid in northeastern China. Migration of pelecinid from East Asia to North, Central, and South Americas and evolution of pelecinid morphology (e.g., antennae, wing venation, body size, mouthparts) and dietary requirement also are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees are among the most important pollinators of angiosperm plants. Many bee species show narrow host-plant preferences, reflected both in behavioral and morphological adaptations to particular attributes of host-plant pollen or floral morphology. Whether bee host-plant associations reflect co-cladogenesis of bees and their host plants or host-switches to unrelated host plants is not clear. Rophitinae is a basal subfamily of Halictidae in which most species show narrow host-plant preferences (oligolecty). We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among the rophitine genera using a combination of adult morphology (24 characters) and DNA sequence data (EF-1α, LW rhodopsin, wingless; 2700 bp total). The data set was analyzed by parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. All methods yielded highly congruent results. Using the phylogeny, we investigated the pattern of host-plant association as well as the historical biogeography of Rophitinae. Our biogeographical analysis suggests a number of dispersal/vicariance events: (1) a basal split between North America and South America (most likely a dispersal from South America to North America), and (2) at least two subsequent interchanges between North America and Eurasia (presumably via the northern hemisphere land bridges). Our analysis of host-plant associations indicates that Rophitinae specialized on a closely related group of angiosperm orders in the Euasterid I clade (mainly Gentianales, Lamiales and Solanales). However, there is little evidence of cocladogenesis between bees and plants and strong evidence of host switches to unrelated host plants. Based on our phylogenetic results we describe two new tribes of Rophitinae: Conanthalictini new tribe (including the genus Conanthalictus) and Xeralictini new tribe (including Xeralictus and Protodufourea). © The Willi Hennig Society 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a fossilized specimen of the ants of the genus Myrmica from pieces of Baltic and Saxonian Amber. Seventeen extinct ant species had been ascribed to this genus, with four species from the Late Eocene and Oligocene and 13 from the Miocene. Such fossils were very difficult to interpret and identify correctly.

This paper describes a new species of Hymenoptera for the Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous, northeast Brazil): Prosyntexis legitima n. sp., representing the family Sepulcidae (Symphita), and the fifth species for the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three extinct new species of scoliid wasps referable to the genus Cretoscolia Rasnitsyn, 1993 within Archaeoscoliinae, Scoliidae have been recovered from the Laiyang Formation in Laiyang, Shandong, China: Cretoscolia formosa, C. laiyangica and C. rasnitsyni. The diagnosis of Cretoscolia is emended based on these new species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the discovery of a worker ant preserved with microscopic detail in Turonian-aged New Jersey amber. Presence of an acidopore in the apex of the gaster; Eusocial characteristic of species of the Hymenoptera Formicinae subfamily; Implications of Cretaceous ants for interpreting distributions of modern ants.

The hypothesis of higher-level relationships among extinct and extant hymenopterans presented by Rasnitsyn in 1988 is widely cited but the evidence has never been presented in the form of a character matrix or analysed cladistically. We review Rasnitsyn’s morphological work and derive a character matrix for fossil and recent hymenopterans from it. Parsimony analyses of this matrix under equal weights and implied weights show that there is little support for Rasnitsyn’s biphyletic hypothesis, postulating a sister-group relationship between tenthredinoids and macroxyelines. Instead, the data favour the conventional view that Hymenoptera excluding the Xyelidae are monophyletic. Higher-level symphytan relationships are well resolved and, except for the basal branchings, largely agree with the tree presented by Rasnitsyn. There is little convincing support for any major divisions of the Apocrita but the Microhymenoptera and the Ichneumonoidea + Aculeata appear as monophyletic groups in some analyses and require only a few extra steps in the others. The Evaniomorpha appear as a paraphyletic grade of basal apocritan lineages and enforcing monophyly of this grouping requires a considerable increase in tree length. The Ceraphronoidea are placed in the Proctotrupomorpha, close to Chalcidoidea and Platygastroidea. This signal is not entirely due to loss characters that may have evolved independently in these taxa in response to a general reduction in size. The analyses suggest that the Proctotrupomorpha may be monophyletic if the ceraphronoids are included. The Chrysidoidea are resolved in good agreement with relationships proposed by Brothers and Carpenter in 1993 but in conflict with the tree presented by Rasnitsyn. Rasnitsyn’s data are largely uninformative about relationships among the Aculeata sensu stricto. The results are compared with those of other recent analyses of higher-level hymenopteran relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]