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Type: Review
Published: 2020-12-21
Page range: 582–596
Abstract views: 355
PDF downloaded: 3

On the identity and limits of Falsiformicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Vespoidea s.l.)

A.A. Borissiak Palaeontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117647, Russia Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
School of Geography and Tourism, Qufu Normal University, Rizhao 276826, China
Friedhofstraße 9, 66894 Käshofen, Germany
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Hymenoptera Insecta Vespoidea s.l. Fossil insects aculeate wasps new taxa Cretaceous Burmese amber Charente amber Taimyr amber

Abstract

Falsiformicidae are found to belong to Vespoidea s.l. and not to Chrysidoidea because of sexually dimorphic antennae (12-segmented in female and 13-segmented in male) and permanently internalized female tergum 7. Eight described species in three genera are known in the family including five new species (Siccibythus oculatus sp. nov., S. pallidus sp. nov., S. martynovae sp. nov., S. ohmkuhnlei sp. nov., S. paulus sp. nov.) as well as a number of undescribed ones, all from mid-Cretaceous ambers (mostly of Kachin in Myanmar but also of Charente in France and Agapa in North Siberia). Phylogenetic affinities of Falsiformicidae within Vespoidea are left to be clarified, and biology of this family is enigmatic yet.

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