Platyxyela unica Wang, Shih & Ren, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Mei
name: Shih, Chungkun
name: Ren, Dong
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Xyelidae
Platyxyela
Platyxyela unica

description: Platyxyela unica sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 2 and 3)
Type material: Holotype: female, No. CNU-HYM-NN-2012100-01 (part) and -02 (counterpart) (Figs. 1–2). Well preserved with almost complete body, antennae, forewing and hind wing. Color brown; Paratype: No. CNU-HYM- NN-2012101 from the same locality as the holotype (Figs. 3 A and 3B). Wings incomplete, body complete, color brown, particularly on legs and head, antenna slightly brownish.
Description of holotype [Character differences of the paratype mentioned in brackets]:
Body excluding ovipositor sheath 13.2 mm [18.0 mm] long, forewing (incompletely preserved) 12.3 mm [16.6 mm] long. Head 2.0 mm [3.0 mm] high, 2.2 mm [2.5 mm] wide, and nearly round, eyes narrow, three ocelli small [no eyes and ocelli preserved on ventral view], some hairy maxillary structures preserved but difficult to interpret (Fig. 1 C), mandibles not visible [mandibles subtriangular, stout], antenna ca 2.5 times [2.8 times] as long as the width of head, scape about five times as long as pedicel [scape only partly preserved], nearly as wide as antennomere 3, terminal part of flagellum comprising 15 articles [terminal part of flagellum with 13 articles], 0.3 times [0.5 times] as wide as antennomere 3, flagellomeres apparently equal in length, pedicel and flagellum shortly pilose [pedicel and flagellum without pilose].
Pronotum 1.6 mm [0.8 mm] long, trapeziform, shortly pilose [Pronotum without pilose] (Fig. 1 D).
Pterostigma sclerotized fully, costal area obviously widen proximad of the base of Rs, anterior branch of Sc (Sc1) connecting C beyond the origin of Rs, posterior branch of Sc (Sc2) long and subvertical to R, Sc2 meeting R a short distance before origin of Rs, Sc2 slightly longer than the basal section of Rs [Sc2 nearly equal to basal section of Rs], first free section of Rs longer than half of the basal section of M; R significantly curved before origin of Rs and thickened before pterostigma; 1r-rs shorter than 2r-rs in length, the section of Rs between 1r-rs and 2r-rs arched toward the lower margin of forewing, termination of Rs1 slightly closer to the end of Rs2 than pterostigma, 1m-cu shorter than the section of Cu between it and crossvein 1cu-a, crossvein 3r-m partly preserved, cell 1Cu narrow and longer, distinctly broad at the origin of vein M, 7.8 times [8 times] longer than wide, and twice as long as cell 1M, cell R 1.4 times [1.2 times] as long as 1R1, cell 1R1 nearly [1.5 times] as long as 3R1 and twice [1.8 times] as long as 2R1, cell 2R1 1.3 times [1.6 times] as long as wide, cell 1M nearly [1.2 times] as long as cell 1R1, cell 2M longer than Rs, 1A 1.7 times as long as 2A (Fig. 2 C).
Hind wing with 21 hamuli arranged in two rows, 13 long and thick hamuli inserting at the anterior edge of C, and possibly 8 shorter and thinner hamuli inserting slightly removed posteriorly (Fig. 1 E), Rs short and inclining to the base of the hind wing, 1r-m meeting Rs a little beyond origin of Rs, the section of M beyond 1r-m straight, basal part of vein cu-a bend, cross vein 3r-m a little shorter than m-cu, cell R1 rounded, cell 1Cu widened at the origin of M, as wide as cell 1M, and 1.8 times longer than it, cross vein cu-a 3.5 times than cross vein a in length [Hind wing partly preserved, Rs very short, 1r-m meeting Rs slightly beyond origin of Rs, cell 1Cu narrow and longer than cell R] (Fig. 2 D).
Abdomen with 8 segments visible, ovipositor with sheath sword-shaped, densely pilose [ovipositor with sheath without pilose] (Fig. 1 F), ratio of ovipositor length to length of vein C of forewing 0.45 [0.28], the relative length of valvifer 2 and valvula 3 about 0.4, all legs preserved, but tibiae aligning femora not clearly visible, and their apices not preserved, as well as tarsi, femora oval and tibiae thin [femora oval and right hind tibia aligning femur]. Etymology: The specific name is from Latin ‘ unicus ’ meaning unique and particular.
Key to the extant and fossil genera of Macroxyelinae1
A key including 8 genera and 10 species of Mesozoic and some Cenozoic Macroxyelinae has been given by Rasnitsyn (1969). In addition, 8 new genera and 17 new species of Macroxyelinae have been described from northeastern China since then (Zhang & Zhang 2000; Gao et al. 2008, 2009, 2011; see also catalog by Taeger et al. 2010). Herein, an updated key to the extant and fossil genera of Macroxyelinae of the World is presented:
1. Sc of forewing with more than 2 branches.................................................................. 2 Sc of forewing with 2 branches........................................................................... 5 2. Sc of forewing with 3 branches........................................................................... 3 Sc of forewing with 4 branches.............. † Gigantoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Gigantoxyela quadrifurca Rasnitsyn, 1966] 3. Sc connected to R at origin of Rs, first free section of Rs longer than first free section of M...................................................................... † Shartexyela Rasnitsyn, 2008 [† Shartexyela mongolica Rasnitsyn, 2008] Sc connected to R before origin of Rs, first free section of Rs not longer than first free section of M.................... 4 4. First free section of Rs shorter than first free section of M.............................. † Xyelites Rasnitsyn, 1966 [†2] First free section of Rs approximately as long as first free section of M.......... † Abrotoxyela Gao, Ren & Shih, 2009 [†2] 5. Sc connected to R before origin of Rs...................................................................... 6 Sc connected to R not before origin of Rs................................................................. 17 6. Horn-like structure situated in front of each eye................................................................................................ † Ceratoxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [† Ceratoxyela decorosa Zhang & Zhang, 2000] No horn-like structure situated in front of each eye........................................................... 7 7. Pterostigma sclerotized only at margins.................................................................... 8 Pterostigma sclerotized not only at margins................................................................ 10 8. Rs+M arises directly from R........................ † Uroxyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Uroxyela sicicauda Rasnitsyn, 1966] Rs+M separated from R by a prominent section of Rs......................................................... 9 9. First segment of Rs shorter than first free section of M............................................................................................... † Microxyelecia Rasnitsyn, 1969 [† Microxyelecia brachycera Rasnitsyn, 1969] First segment of Rs longer than first free section of M......................................................................................................† Bolboxyella Rasnitsyn, 1990 [† Bolboxyella bolboica Rasnitsyn, 1990]
1. † represents the status as a fossil, and brackets contains the scientific names for those genera which comprise only a single species, or the count of species for other genera.
10. Costal area narrow, first free section of Rs shorter than half of first free section of M............................... 11 Costal area wide, the first free section of Rs longer than half of first free section of M.............................. 12
11. Terminal flagellum longer than antennomere 3................................................................................................... † Nigrimonticola Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Nigrimonticola longicornis Rasnitsyn, 1966] Terminal flagellum shorter than antennomere 3.......† Baissoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1969 [† Baissoxyela tarsalis Rasnitsyn, 1969]
12. Ratio of ovipositor length to width no longer than 1......................................................... 13 Ratio of ovipositor length to width longer than 1............................................................ 14
13. Forewing with a deep break before pterostigma................................... † Angaridyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [†8] Forewing with a shallow break before pterostigma.................................................................................................. † Liaoxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [† Liaoxyela antique Zhang & Zhang, 2000]
14. Pterostigma sclerotized with desclerotized basally........................................................... 15 Pterostigma fully sclerotized............................................................................ 16
15. Terminal flagellum no shorter than antennomere 3.................................................................................................... † Sinoxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [† Sinoxyela viriosa Zhang & Zhang, 2000] Terminal flagellum shorter than antennomere 3.....† Isoxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [† Isoxyela rudis Zhang & Zhang, 2000]
16. The first free section of Rs equal to first free section of M, posterior branch of Sc shorter than first free section of Rs, Sc2 not parallel to first free section of Rs........ † Heteroxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [† Heteroxyela ignota Zhang & Zhang, 2000] The first free section of Rs shorter than first free section of M, posterior branch of Sc nearly as long as first free section of Rs, Sc2 parallel to first free section of Rs............................... † Platyxyela gen. nov. [† Platyxyela unica sp. nov.]
17. Sc connected to R at origin of Rs........................................................................ 18 Sc connected to R beyond origin of Rs.................................................................... 19
18. Pterostigma sclerotized basally, terminal part flagellum longer than basal articles.... † Lethoxyela Zhang & Zhang, 2000 [†2] Pterostigma sclerotized completely, terminal part flagellum shorter than basal articles............................................................................ † Chaetoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Chaetoxyela hirsuta Rasnitsyn, 1966]
19. The first free section of Rs shorter than first free section of M................................................. 20 The first free section of Rs longer than first free section of M.................................................. 22
20. Pterostigma sclerotized with desclerotized basally.... † Ceroxyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Ceroxyela dolichocera Rasnitsyn, 1966] Pterostigma sclerotized fully............................................................................ 21
21. distance between Sc2 meeting R and origin of Rs shorter than Sc2............ † Brachyoxyela Gao, Zhao & Ren, 2011 [†2] distance between Sc2 meeting R and origin of Rs longer than Sc2................................................ † Chionoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1993 [† Chionoxyela nivea Rasnitsyn, 1993]
22. Pterostigma sclerotized fully............................................................................ 23 Pterostigma sclerotized basally.......................................................................... 24
23. Sc2 meeting R near base of Rs..................................................... Macroxyela Kirby, 1882 [2] Sc2 meeting R in the middle between base of Rs and pterostigma....................... Megaxyela Ashmead, 1898 [10]
24. first free section of Rs about 1.5 times as long as first free section of M.................† Anthoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1977 [†4] first free section of Rs about twice as long as first free section of M...................................................................................† Ophthalmoxyela Rasnitsyn, 1966 [† Ophthalmoxyela brachyua Rasnitsyn, 1966]
description: Published as part of Wang, Mei, Shih, Chungkun & Ren, Dong, 2012, Platyxyela gen. nov. (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae, Macroxyelinae) from the Middle Jurassic of China, pp. 82-88 in Zootaxa 3456 on pages 84-87, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.282220