A puzzling spider wasp: description of an extinct species of Paleogenia Waichert and Pitts (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from the upper Eocene

ABSTRACT

Pompilidae are a cosmopolitan family of aculeate parasitoid wasps with 24 extinct species. Here, we provide a new species description for an enigmatic species of Pepsinae: Paleogenia indomini Colombo & Waichert sp. nov. The new taxon is easily distinguished from congeners by having a long tibial spur, ~0.8× longer than the first tarsomere, and by the presence of a large basal pale line extending medially on the clypeus. A key for the species of Paleogenia is provided.

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KEYWORDS:

• Baltic amber
• priabonian
• Pepsinae

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Editor and the anonymous reviewers who helped us to improve the quality of the contribution. We also thank CNPq/FAPES grant #52263010/2011, Pronex Programme, for providing imaging facilities and FAPES PRONEX #980/2022. This is a contribution of INCT-Hymenoptera Parasitoides CNPq grant #3037482018-4. WDC is grateful to FAPES/CNPq PROTAX grant #224/2021 for providing post-doctoral fellow bursary.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Pronex Programme CNPq/FAPES [#52263010/2011]; FAPES/CNPq PROTAX [#224/2021]; INCT-Hymenoptera Parasitoides CNPq [#3037482018-4].