Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Parasitoid Wasp Family Megalyridae (Hymenoptera)

Long-Tailed Wasps (Hymenoptera: Megalyridae) from Cretaceous and Paleogene European amber

“…It is tentatively placed in the tribe Cretodinapsini on the basis of the longitudinal median sulcus on vertex (possible synapomorphy of the tribe, according to Shaw, 1990b). The postorbital carina is present as in Dinapsini, however without an orbital groove, thus it is more similar to that observed in Prodinapsis.…”

“…The configuration of the forewing venation, with the radial vein present, even if not complete basally, supports affinities with the Dinapsini. The posterior orbital carina, another putative synapomorphy of this tribe, is not present in the new fossil, but Shaw (1990b) indicated that this character is homoplastic. The new genus strengthens the possibility that the presence of this carina is not a synapomorphy for this tribe.…”

“…This last character was a possible synapomorphy of the Cretodinapsini, according to Shaw (1990b), but the monophyly of this tribe has not been demonstrated and a sulcus on vertex is also found in Megalava, which belongs in the new tribe Megazarini. The configuration of the forewing venation, with the radial vein present, even if not complete basally, supports affinities with the Dinapsini.…”

“…The mid-Cretaceous family Maimetshidae, originally composed of the monotypic genus Maimetsha Rasnitsyn, from Santonian Taimyr amber (Rasnitsyn, 1975), was synonymized with the Megalyridae by Shaw (1988Shaw ( , 1990bShaw ( , 2007, who suggested that it could represent a basal lineage within megalyrids. Maimetsha's similarities with Megalyridae include the antennae being inserted below the level of the ventral margin of the eyes, the presence of a median mesoscutal sulcus, and the ovipositor being externalized, though short.…”

“…297) that is now housed in the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Shaw (1990b) mentioned a specimen of unknown sex in the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology.…”