Corresponding author: Taiping Gao (
Academic editor: S. M. Blank
A new sawfly of
Wang Y, Wang M, Shih C, Rasnitsyn AP, Yao J, Ren D, Gao T (2019) A new sawfly of Megalodontesidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Pamphilioidea) with pectinate antennae from the Early Cretaceous of China. ZooKeys 893: 115–123.
Among extant symphytan insects, ramified antennae are present in various taxa, i.e., in
In this paper, we describe
For the paper we examined the holotypes of
The specimens were examined and photographed, either dry or wetted with 95% ethanol, by using a Nikon SMZ25 with an attached camera system. Line drawings were prepared using Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe Photoshop CC graphics software. The wing venation nomenclature used in the paper was modified after
Mesonotum large, notauli strongly impressed, tapering to acutely rounded base. Forewing veins 1-Rs and 1-M nearly in straight line; 1r-rs present, shorter than 2r-rs; 1r-rs reclival and 2r-rs proclival; 1m-cu near base of cell 2rm; 1cu-a at base of cell 1mcu, connecting to juncture of M+Cu; cell 1mcu small, nearly rectangular; cell 2rm longer than cell 3rm. Hind wing with 1-Cu nearly perpendicular to cu-a; 1A and 2A strongly curved.
Fossil incomplete: head appendages, pronotum, legs, abdomen and supposedly posterior parts of wings missing. Head moderately large, near oval; compound eyes large; ocelli not visible. Mesonotum broader than long; mesoscutum small, with distinct medial line and impressed notauli; mesoscutellum indistinct; metanotum narrow and long; metascutum with cenchri present but indistinct. Forewing (Fig.
Holotype, specimen no. CNU-HYM-LB2018033p/c, part and counterpart.
Antenna pectinate, with 42 flagellomeres, flagellum longer than head width, proximal 28 flagellomeres with apical rami, rami gradually shortening in length toward apex of flagellum; scape almost 3 times as long as first flagellomere. Anterior margin of pronotum round, with weakly concave posterodorsal margin. Forewing with pterostigma infuscated apically; vein 1cu-a strongly curved. Hind wing vein 1-Rs nearly equal to 1r-m, slightly shorter than 1-M.
The species can be assigned to
Huangbanjigou, near Chaomidian Village, in Shangyuan County, adjacent to Beipiao City, in Liaoning Province of China. Collected from the mid-Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, dated as latest Barremian to earliest Aptian, 125 Ma (
The species epithet is dedicated to Miss Peichen Yao, the daughter of Dr Jun Yao, the specimen donator.
All fossil megalodontesids share as a plesiomorphy of a curved vein 2A on the forewing (
Since weak sexual dimorphism has been observed within several groups of
We are very grateful to Dr Xiaodan Lin and Mr Xiangbo Guo (College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University) for their help in this research. We thank the Editorial Board of ZooKeys, and in particular, Dr Stephan M. Blank. We express our gratitude to Dr Lars Vilhelmsen, Dr Andreas Taeger, and Dr Meicai Wei for their critical but valuable reviews of the manuscript. We also thank the curator of the type specimen of