New genus and species of syspastoxyelid sawflies (Insecta, Hymenoptera) from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber with a review of the family Syspastoxyelidae. (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Yan; Hu, Haiyan; Zhang, Haichun; Chen, Jun; Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P.; Zhuo, De
• Is Part Of: Cretaceous research. Volume 127(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: New taxon -- Symphyta -- Taxonomy -- Kachin amber -- Burmese amber -- Cenomanian -- Fossil -- Resin -- Pinguixyela -- Burmoxyela; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Cretaceous -- Periodicals; 551.77
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104940
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-6671

Abstract

Abstract: Burmoxyela lii gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a male collected from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Pinguixyela gen. nov. is described for Syspastoxyela pinguis Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019, and Syspastoxyela simpla Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019 is transferred to the genus Striaexyela Zheng et al., 2019 as Striaexyela simpla (Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019), comb. nov., both from Kachin amber. This results in 5 genera and 6 species comprising the family thus far. A key to genera and species of Syspastoxyelidae is provided. The family is consideded as the most basal branch of Hymenoptera sister to Xyelidae. Biologically Syspastoxyelidae are hypothesized to develop within male cones of conifer trees and to feed on pollen grains both as adult and immature. Our discovery supports the hypothesis that the mid-Cretaceous Kachin biota was highly endemic.