taxonID	type	description	language	source
03C587E2FFD9FF98FDD1FCC2FE03F98D.taxon	type_taxon	type species: Xyela major Cresson, 1880 (now Megaxyela major), by original designation.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD9FF98FDD1FCC2FE03F98D.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela species differ from other extant xyelids by the following characters: carina along inner orbit present (e. g., Figs 3 F – G, 4 G), sometimes obscured by other surface sculpture (e. g., Figs 6 C, 8 F); vein Sc 2 of fore wing joining R at 0.25 – 0.50 of distance between separation of Rs from R and pterostigma (Fig. 1 A – B); hind legs extended, about 1.5 – 2.0 × as long as body (e. g., Fig. 3 A – B, 3 D – E). The taxonomic recognition of Megaxyela from other extant Xyelidae is possible with the keys of Ross (1937), Benson (1945) and Blank (2002).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD9FF99FD9AF980FB7FFECA.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined USA: 1 ♀, West Virginia, Pocahontas County, Monongahela National Forest, ca 38.63 ° N, 79.83 ° W, Plot 17, lower Site, 7 May 2001, Malaise trap, L. Butler & J. Strazanac leg., DEI-GISHym 30766 (USNM).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD9FF99FD9AF980FB7FFECA.taxon	discussion	Remarks The above data from West Virginia represent a new state record. Among others, the species has been found in the neighboring states of Pennsylvania and Virginia (Smith & Schiff 1998).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	description	urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 63 EF 6069 - E 728 - 4107 - 8 DC 2 - F 02 C 9081880 A Figs 1 F, 3 A – 3 K, 11 A, 12 A, 13 A	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis This species is unique upon the black head bearing narrow yellow lines along inner and outer orbits and a linear yellow spot on vertex (Fig. 3 A – B, D, F – G), and the presence of ctenidia along the annuli of the ovipositor (Figs 1 F, 12 A). It is separated from other Eurasian species by the metallic blue shine of dark colored body parts (Fig. 3 A – G), the laterally black terga 2 – 4 (Fig. 3 A – E; only the ventral margins of the terga bear a narrow longitudinal white line ventrally, Fig. 3 C, E), the almost completely black valvula 3 of the ovipositor sheath (Fig. 11 A), the black hypopygium of the male (Fig. 3 E), and the large and irregular teeth of the upper edge of the valviceps (Fig. 13 A).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	etymology	Etymology The species name is a noun derived from ancient Greek ευ- (eu-, beautiful) and χρωμα (chroma, color).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Holotype CHINA: ♀: “ CSCS 14007 [..., Chinese characters for Kaishan Laodian, Mt. Tianmushan, Linan, Zhejiang Province], E 119 ° 26 ′ 05 ″ N 30 ° 20 ′ 33 ″ 1142 m 2014. IV. 8 [..., Chinese characters for the collectors Nie Haiyan & Hu Ping] CH 3 COOC 2 H 5 ”, [red:] “ Holotype Megaxyela euchroma sp. n. det. SMBlank & AShinohara 2015 ”; “ DEI-DISHym 22554 ” (CSCS). Paratypes CHINA: 2 ♀♀, same site as holotype, 4 – 5 Apr. 2015, Li Zejian leg. (LSAF); 1 ♀, same site as holotype, 8 Apr. 2014, Liu Ting and Yu Xingjie leg., CSCS 14008 / DEI-DISHym 22555 (CSCS); 1 ♀, same site, 9 Apr. 2014, Liu Ting and Yu Xingjie leg., CSCS 14010 / DEI-DISHym 22556 (CSCS); 1 ♂, same site, 10 Apr. 2014, Liu Ting and Yu Xingjie leg., CSCS 14012 / DEI-DISHym 22557 (CSCS); 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂, same site as holotype, 11 Apr. 2015, Li Zejian leg., CSCS); 3 ♀♀, same site, 16 Apr. 2014, Nie Haiyan and Hu Ping leg., CSCS 14026 / DEI-DISHym 22558 – 22560 (CSCS, SDEI, YUIC); 1 ♀, 1 ♂, same site, 16 Apr. 2014, Liu Ting and Yu Xingjie leg., CSCS 14027 / DEI-DISHym 22561 – 22562, (CSCS); 1 ♂, same site, 1150 m, 4 Apr. 2015, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22515 (SDEI) (specimen used for barcoding); 1 ♀, same site, 8 Apr. 2014, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22512 (NSMT); 1 ♂, same site, 9 Apr. 2014, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22513 (NSMT) (specimen used for barcoding); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same site, 11 Apr. 2015, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22514, DEI-DISHym 22516 (NSMT); 1 ♀, same site, 15 Apr. 2014, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22511 (NSMT); 3 ♀♀, same site, 16 Apr. 2014, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-DISHym 22509 – 22510 and 22355 (latter specimen used for barcoding) (NSMT, SDEI).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	description	Description Female COLOR. Body black with white, yellow white and red brown pattern, black parts with blue tinge (Fig. 3 A – B). Head black with three yellow white lines, one on vertex posterior of eye, one along dorsal half of inner orbits, one along ventral half of outer orbits and along ventral edge of eye; clypeus along anterior margin, labrum, mandibles and most of other mouthparts red brown to white (similar to Fig. 3 F – G). Antenna black. Tegula, dorsolateral corner and narrow lateroventral margin of pronotum yellow white. Abdominal terga 1 – 8 with narrowly white distal margins, lateroventral portions of terga 2 – 7 with continuous 50 – 100 µm wide white stripe along ventral margin (Fig. 3 C). Abdominal sterna 2 – 7 broadly white along lateral and distal margins (Fig. 3 C). Valvifer 2 of ovipositor red brown in basal half, black in distal half, valvula 3 black with brown tip, membrane in between valvifer 2 and valvula 3 white (Fig. 11 A). Fore and mid legs red brown, coxae predominantly black from bases, trochanters partly white. On hind leg, basal third of coxa laterally black, distal portion red brown, trochanter and trochantellus white, femur predominantly red brown in basal half, predominantly black in distal half, tibia black, tarsus white, tarsomere 1 weakly infuscate in basal third (Fig. 3 A – C, H – I). Wings weakly brown stained, venation brown, pterostigma black (Fig. 3 D – E), sometimes brown (Fig. 3 A – B, immature specimens?). MORPHOLOGY. Body 11.3 – 13.1 mm, fore wing 14.1 – 14.6 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.6 – 1.8: 1.8 – 2.0. Interantennal distance 0.9 – 1.0 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.4 – 0.5 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.6 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 (4.0 –) 4.5 – 4.9 mm, filament 0.9 – 1.1 mm, with 7 – 8 articles (9 in one specimen). Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.5 – 0.6 mm. Ovipositor sheath 2.5 – 2.7 mm, valvula 3 1.4 – 1.6 × as long as valvifer 2, valvula 3 2.0 – 2.1 (– 2.2) × as long as wide. On hind leg, femur (4.5 –) 4.9 – 5.2 mm, tibia (5.4 –) 5.9 – 6.5 mm, tarsus (4.3 –) 4.6 – 5.2 mm, tarsomere 1 4.2 – 4.4 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.4 – 0.5 × as long as tarsomere 1, subapical tooth of claw stout and little shorter than apical tooth. Head dull, medial part of frons and vertex minutely areolate, lateral parts of frons rugose, gena minutely areolate (Fig. 3 F and 3 G). Inner orbit and ventral half of gena with carina, on inner orbit partly obscured by generally rugose structure. Mesonotum minutely areolate, posterio-medial part of medial lobes of mesoscutum and lateral parts of mesoscutellum rugulose. Mesepisternum minutely areolate, dull, with scattered 20 µm large pits. Metatarsomere 1 dorsally almost glabrous, laterally sparsely setose, lateroventrally with some stout setae up to 150 µm, ventrally densely setose, setae about 100 µm long (Fig. 3 H – I). Pulvilli present on metatarsomeres 1 – 4, on tarsomere 1 pulvillus 70 – 100 µm long, on tarsomere 4 200 – 230 µm (Fig. 3 H – J). Valvula 3 of ovipositor sheath convex dorsally and ventrally in basal and medial sections, preapically weakly concave, setae up to 250 μm long scattered mainly along dorsal and ventral margins (Fig. 11 A). Ovipositor about 2.1 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and valvula 2 without bulbous areas (Fig. 12 A). Valvula 1 in distal 0.6 with annuli, basal annuli sigmoid, distal annuli weakly oblique, annuli with ctenidia composed of minute denticles, ventral edge in distal 0.3 bearing serrulae, cypsellae between distal 6 serrulae deep (Figs 1 F, 11 A). Valvula 2 in distal 0.4 with annuli, basal annuli weakly curved, distal annuli straight, annuli with ctenidia, denticles larger than those on valvula 1, dorsal edge of valvula 2 indented between annuli. Male COLOR. Similar to female (Fig. 3 D – G, K). Subgenital plate and genitalia black. MORPHOLOGY. Body 9.4 – 10.2 mm, fore wing 11.9 – 12.3 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.5 – 1.8: 1.6 – 1.9. Interantennal distance 0.9 – 1.0 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.4 – 0.5 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.6 – 1.7 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 4.0 – 4.4 mm, filament (0.8 –) 0.9 – 1.1 mm, with 7 – 8 articles. Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.5 mm long. On hind leg, femur 4.1 – 4.4 mm, tibia 5.1 – 5.3 mm, tarsus 4.2 – 4.5 mm, tarsomere 1 4.7 – 5.3 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.40 × as long as tarsomere 1. Claws and microsculpture similar to female. Setation of metatarsus less dense than in female (Fig. 3 K). Subgenital plate bluntly pointed at apex. Valviceps of penis valve distally evenly rounded, basal 0.4 of upper side expanded to a roundly angular lobe, upper edge of valviceps distal of lobe weakly concave, with large, irregular teeth. Distal half of valviceps in upper and medial portion with long setae, distal of middle in lower portion with dense assemblage of short, conical setae (Fig. 13 A).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela euchroma sp. nov. is characterized by a number of unique characters (see Diagnosis). All other East Asian species are completely white on the ventral portion and partly on the dorsolateral portion of terga 2 – 3 or 2 – 4. In these cases, the white band on terga 2 – 3 or 2 – 4 is much wider than on the subsequent terga. The head is more extensively yellow or red brown, at least on the gena in M. gigantea, M. pulchra sp. nov. and M. togashii, or the eye is completely surrounded by black except for the malar space in M. parki. Megaxyela euchroma sp. nov. and M. parki share the white metatarsus, which is black in the other East Asian species. With respect to the white pattern of the terga, M. euchroma sp. nov. is similar to the North American M. alisonae, M. bicoloripes, M. inversa sp. nov. and M. tricolor (Smith & Schiff 1998). Megaxyela alisonae and M. bicoloripes have a white metatarsus similar to M. euchroma sp. nov., while M. tricolor has a black metatarsus. In the Nearctic species, a yellow white pattern on the orbits and the vertex, similar to that of M. euchroma sp. nov., is absent. Megaxyela alisonae and M. bicoloripes bear an extensive red brown pattern on thorax and abdomen, which is absent in M. euchroma sp. nov. Megaxyela inversa sp. nov. differs in the shape of the ovipositor sheath, which is straight dorsally in the basal and the medial sections, vs convex in M. euchroma sp. nov. The analysis of the COI sequences supports the monophyly of the studied specimens by a bootstrap of 100 %. The maximum intraspecific variation is 0.3 %. The nearest neighbor, M. fulvago sp. nov., is placed at a distance of 12.7 % (Fig. 2).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFD8FF9CFE7BFE78FBADFABE.taxon	biology_ecology	All the available adults were found on the undergrowth of open forests during cloudy weather. There were Juglans trees nearby and new shoots of leaflets were beginning to grow.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	description	urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: DF 04584 F-B 33 D- 42 A 7 - 836 D-E 758 A 66 F 4081 Figs 4 A – G, 11 B, 12 B – C, 13 B	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis The red brown head, prothorax and mesothorax are unique to this species.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	etymology	Etymology The Latin noun fulvago indicates the predominantly pale brown color of this species.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Holotype CHINA: ♂: “ [CHINA: Hunan] Mt. Yunshan 1250 m [alt.] 26 ° 39 ′ N, 110 ° 37 ′ E nr. Wugang 12. IV. 2012 [leg.] A. Shinohara ”; “ DEI-GISHym 5236 ”; [red:] “ Holotype Megaxyela fulvago det. SMBlank & AShinohara 2015 ” (CSCS). Paratypes (6 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂) CHINA: 1 ♀, 5 ♂♂, same collecting data as holotype, DEI-GISHym 5235, 5237 – 5239, 5751 – 5752 (5237, 5239, 5751 – 5752 used for barcoding) (SDEI, NSMT); 1 ♀, Jiangsu Sheng, Nanjing, 32.06 ° N, 118.78 ° E, 1 May 1985, Jinniang leg. (CSCS); 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂, Jiangsu Sheng [“ Prov. Kiangsu ”], Zhenjiang [“ Chinkiang ”], 32.20 ° N, 119.43 ° E, 24 Apr. – 1 May 1918 (IZCAS) (Takeuchi 1940; Maa 1949; images for re-identification provided by Yang Ganyan); 1 ♀, Zhejiang Province, Kaishan Laodian, Tianmushan, Lin’an, 30.343 ° N, 119.435 ° E, 1140 m alt., 10 Apr. 2014, Liu Ting and Yu Xinjie leg., CSCS 14012, DEIGISHym 30882 (specimen used for barcoding) (CSCS); 1 ♀, same locality, 1110 m alt., 14 Apr. 2016, Li Zejian, Liu Mengmeng and Chen Zhiwei leg., CSCS 16143, DEI-GISHym 30883 (specimen used for barcoding) (CSCS).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	description	Description Female COLOR. Body red brown with black-and-white pattern, black parts partly with bronze tinge (Fig. 4 A). Head and thorax red brown (specimen 30882 with diffuse transverse stripe on vertex – artifact?), posterior half of metanotum and ventral half of metepisternum infuscate. Scape red brown, pedicel black, flagellum dark brown. Abdomen in dorsal view black with continuous white bands laterally on terga 2 – 4, each 0.15 – 0.20 × as wide as tergal width, tergum 8 with narrower lateral white band, ventral portions of terga 2 – 4 and 8 completely white, terga 5 – 6 narrowly and tergum 7 broadly white along ventral margin, terga 9 + 10 brown with small dark spot dorsolaterally. Sterna white. Valvifer 2 and valvula 3 red brown, membrane between valvifer 2 and valvula 3 pale (Fig. 11 B). Fore and mid legs pale red brown. On hind leg, coxa red brown, infuscated laterally in middle and dorsally, trochanter and trochantellus pale red brown, femur brown dorsally and red brown ventrally, tibia and tarsus brown. Wings weakly yellow stained, venation and pterostigma yellow brown. MORPHOLOGY. Body 11.4 – 13.0 mm, fore wing 14.9 – 15.4 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 2.2 – 2.4: 2.2 – 2.3. Interantennal distance 1.0 – 1.1 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.4 – 0.5 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.7 – 1.8 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 4.5 – 4.9 mm, filament 1.1 mm, with 8 – 9 articles. Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.5 – 0.6 mm long. Ovipositor sheath 3.30 – 3.50 mm long, valvula 3 1.9 – 2.3 × as long as wide. On hind leg, femur 4.9 – 5.0 mm, tibia 5.6 – 6.0 mm, tarsus 4.1 – 4.3 mm, tarsomere 1 4.5 – 5.1 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.70 × as long as tarsomere 1, subapical tooth of claw stout and little shorter than apical tooth (Fig. 4 B; similar to Shinohara 1992: fig. 4 D). Face and vertex with areolate surface microsculpture, dull, interantennal area and frons above antennal toruli with scattered, shallow, 50 µm large pits (similar to Fig. 4 G), gena weakly coriarious, shining. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum homogeneously areolate. Mesepisternum weakly coriarious and shining, with scattered pits. Metatarsomere 1 dorsally and dorsolaterally very sparsely setose, ventrally and ventrolaterally densely setose, setae 150 – 200 µm long ventrally (Fig. 4 B). Pulvilli absent on article 1 of metatarsus, present on articles 3 – 4, presence ambiguous for article 2, on article 4 pulvillus 50 µm long. Basal and medial sections of valvula 3 of ovipositor sheath convex dorsally, almost straight ventrally, preapical section concave on dorsal and ventral edge, medial to preapical section of dorsal margin with setae up to 200 µm long, ventral margin with setae up to 100 μm long (Fig. 11 B). Ovipositor about 2.4 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and valvula 2 with bulbous areas in middle, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 B – C). Valvula 1 in distal 0.7 with very narrowly spaced, subparallel, straight, vertical annuli, ventral margin in distal 0.3 bearing small serrulae. Valvula 2 in distal 0.6 with narrowly spaced annuli, distal 0.3 of dorsal edge of valvula 1 with small denticles. Male COLOR. Similar to female (Fig. 4 E – G). Metepimeron red brown or predominantly infuscate. Ventral portions of terga 5 – 7 predominantly white. Subgenital plate and genitalia red brown. On hind leg, coxa sometimes completely black laterally, trochanter and trochantellus red brown, femur black dorsally and medially, dark red brown ventrally and laterally, tibia and tarsus black (Fig. 4 C – D). MORPHOLOGY. Body 8.8 – 10.7 mm, fore wing 11.3 – 12.8 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.6 – 1.7 (– 1.9): 1.7 – 1.9 (– 2.0). Interantennal distance 0.9 – 1.1 × as long as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.5 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.6 – 1.8 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 (3.6 –) 4.0 – 4.6 mm, filament 1.0 – 1.1 mm and with 8 – 9 articles (one male with left filament 0.8 mm long, 6 articles, right filament 1.0 mm long, 8 articles). Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.4 – 0.5 μm long. On hind leg, femur 3.7 – 4.2 mm, tibia 4.5 – 5.2 mm, tarsus (3.8 –) 4.1 – 4.4 mm, tarsomere 1 4.9 – 5.5 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.60 × as long as tarsomere 1. Claws and microsculpture similar to female (Fig. 4 D). Subgenital plate bluntly pointed at apex. Valviceps of penis valve distally parabolically rounded, basal 0.3 of upper side expanded to a round lobe coiled laterally, medial 0.3 – 0.8 of upper edge shallowly convex, with numerous small teeth. Distal 0.7 of valviceps with long setae, most dense in medial lower portion of valviceps (Fig. 13 B).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela fulvago sp. nov. is most similar to M. gigantea regarding color and structure. In both species, terga 2 – 4 are extensively white on the dorsolateral and ventral portion. This pattern is absent in M. euchroma sp. nov. and in most of the Nearctic species. White is present on the dorsal side of only terga 2 – 3 in M. parki, M. pulchra sp. nov. and M. togashii, as well as in the Nearctic M. major. Megaxyela fulvago sp. nov. and M. gigantea share the dull, minutely areolate and shallowly pitted face. A rugose surface structure is absent from the frons, which has been observed in the other East Asian species. Megaxyela fulvago sp. nov. and M. gigantea are primarily discriminated by color: head, prothorax and mesothorax are completely red brown in M. fulvago sp. nov., but these parts bear an extensive dark brown to black pattern in M. gigantea. The antennal filament of females is longer in M. fulvago sp. nov. (1.1 mm) than in M. gigantea (0.8 mm), and sometimes it is subdivided into fewer articles in M. fulvago sp. nov. (♀: 8 – 9; ♂: usually 8 – 9) than in M. gigantea (♀: 9; ♂: 9 – 10). The relative distance of POL: OOL: OCL differs weakly in males (1.0: 1.6 – 1.7 [– 1.9]: 1.7 – 1.9 [– 2.0] and 1.0: 1.8 – 2.0: 2.0 – 2.2, respectively). The metatarsomere 1 of males is 4.9 – 5.5 × as long as wide in M. fulvago sp. nov. but 4.6 – 5.0 × in M. gigantea. The female of M. fulvago sp. nov. falls into the range of variability of M. gigantea regarding these two characters. The COI sequences group the specimens identified as M. fulvago sp. nov. by morphology into a clade which is supported by a bootstrap of 97 %. This clade additionally includes a specimen of M. gigantea. Supposedly this placement is an artefact caused by the short sequence length (261 bp) of this specimen. The maximum intraspecific variation within M. fulvago sp. nov. is 0.8 %. Megaxyela togashii is placed at a minimum pairwise distance of 7.6 % (Fig. 2).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	biology_ecology	The specimens from Mount Yunshan were collected on a sunny day flying around birch trees with lots of catkins shedding pollen. Pollen feeding of adults is well known for Xyela species, which bear distally modified and usually extended maxillary palps (Burdick 1961). A similar behavior is unknown for adult Macroxyelinae. Although M. major has been caught from catkins of willow (Bridwell 1906) and pollen has been identified from the intestine of two fossil Macroxyelinae species (Krasilov & Rasnitsyn 1982), Megaxyela is not specialized in pollen feeding but is facultatively palynivorous, because the labiomaxillar complex exhibits no particular modifications for the uptake of pollen as in Xyelinae.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDDFF9FFE4AFAABFCF2F8B5.taxon	discussion	Takeuchi (1940) and Maa (1949) referred to the specimens of M. gigantea collected in “ Chinkiang [= Zhenjiang], Prov. Kiangsu [= Jangsu Sheng] ” deposited in the collection of the Musée Heude, Shanghai at that time. Major parts of this collection have been incorporated into IZCAS, Beijing (Yang Ganyan, personal communication). The two females and one male collected in “ Chinkiang ” in 1918 could be identified as M. fulvago sp. nov. with help of photos kindly provided by Yang Ganyan. An additional female from “ Chinkian ” (3 May 1936, E. Suenson leg.), which we identified as M. gigantea prior to the recognition of M. fulvago sp. nov., is kept at INHS.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDEFF82FDEDF8A1FBCBFCCD.taxon	description	Figs 5 A – H, 11 C, 12 E, 13 C, G – H	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDEFF82FDEDF8A1FBCBFCCD.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Lectotype (here designated) RUSSIA: ♀, lectotype of Megaxyela gigantea, “ Ussuri Kasakewitsh [= Khabarovskiy Kray, Kazakevichevo, 48.27 ° N, 134.77 ° E] 1907 Korb ”; “ Megaxyela gigantea det. Mocsáry ”; [rectangular red label without inscription]; “ Megaxyela gigantea Mocs. ”; [red:] “ Lectotype Megaxyela gigantea Mocsáry, 1909 Det. A. Shinohara 1997 ”, in perfect condition (HNHM). The lectotype corresponds well with Shinohara’s (1992) characterization of the species. Paralectotypes RUSSIA: 1 ♀, same collecting data as lectotype (HNHM), Mocsáry (1909) described M. gigantea from an unknown number of females. SOUTH KOREA: 1 ♀, holotype of Megaxyela mikado, “ Suigen [= Suwon, 37.28 ° N, 127.02 ° E], Chosen [= Korea], Apr. 24., 1927, coll. K. Sato ”; “ 270 ”, “ Type of Megaxyela mikado Sato ”, “ Megaxyela gigantea Mocs. det. K. Sato, XI – 1957 ”, “ DEI-GISHym 22350 ”, left wings missing (NSMT). The holotype of M. mikado is a comparatively dark female of M. gigantea with a large dark brown spot on ocellar area and vertex. Terga 2 – 4 bear white stripes laterally, which are of equal width (see figure in Sato 1930; Shinohara & Smith 1979: fig. 13, in synonymy with M. gigantea). The synonymy first proposed by Takeuchi (1937) is here confirmed. Additional material examined or reported in literature NORTH KOREA: 1 ♀, P’yŏngan-pukto [“ Pyongah Prov. N ”], Mt. Myohyang, 40.02 ° N, 126.33 ° E, 23 May 1985, Vojnits & Zombori leg. (HNHM). RUSSIA: 1 ♀, Primorskiy Kray, Voroshilovskiy rayon, southern slopes of Sikhote Alin, on river Suputinka [“ Fluss Suputinka, S. Abhänge von Sichota-Alin ”], 43.77 ° N, 131.90 ° E, 20 Jun. 1937, T. Samoylov leg. (NHRS). SOUTH KOREA: 4 ♀♀, 51 ♂♂ (including DEI-GISHym 708), Chollanam-do, Mt. Nogodan, Mts. Chirisan, 35.30 ° N, 127.53 ° E, 1220 m alt., 4 – 5 Jun. 1996, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT); 1 ♀, Kangwondo, Mirugam (Pugdaesa), Mt. Odaesan, 37.80 ° N, 128.57 ° E, 1300 m alt., 30 May 1991, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT) (Shinohara 1992); 1 ♀, same locality, 27 May 1998, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT); 1 ♂ (specimen DEI-GISHym 18507 used for barcoding), same locality, collected from Juglans? mandshurica, 1 Jun. 2002, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT); 5 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂, Kyonggi-do, Suwon [“ Suigen ”], 37.283 ° N, 127.017 ° E, 12 May 1932, S. Fujii leg. (CIS, NSMT, USNM) (Shinohara 1992); 2 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂, same locality, 14 May 1932, S. Fujii leg. (NSMT, USNM) (Shinohara 1992); 5 ♀♀, Seoul [“ Keijo ”], 37.57 ° N, 127.00 ° E, 11 May 1935, K. Sato leg. (NSMT) (Shinohara 1992); 2 ♀♀, Seoul, Ch’ongnyangni [“ Seiryori ”], 37.58 ° N, 127.05 ° E, 6 May 1934, H. Doi leg. (UOP) (Shinohara 1992).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDEFF82FDEDF8A1FBCBFCCD.taxon	description	Description See Shinohara (1992) and Figs 5 A – B, E, 11 C (ovipositor sheath). Female Ovipositor about 2.7 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and valvula 2 bulbous distal of middle, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 E). Pulvilli absent on article 1 of metatarsus, present on article 4 and 50 µm long, presence ambiguous for articles 2 – 3 (Fig. 5 F – G). Male See Figs 5 C – D, H, 13 G – H. Valviceps of penis valve distally parabolically rounded, basal quarter of upper side expanded to a round lobe coiled laterally, medial 0.3 – 0.8 of upper edge with one or two shallow elevations and numerous small teeth. Distal 0.7 of valviceps with long setae, most dense in medial lower portion (Fig. 13 C).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDEFF82FDEDF8A1FBCBFCCD.taxon	biology_ecology	Host plant Saito (1941), Ko (1969) and Xiao (2006) reported Juglans ailanthifolia Carrière (cited as J. sieboldiana Maxim.), J. mandshurica Maxim., J. regia L. (including the synonym J. sinensis [C. DC.] Dode), Pterocarya rhoifolia Sieb. & Zucc., and P. stenoptera C. DC. All recorded hostplant associations of M. gigantea need confirmation, because they can also refer to the new species M. pulchra sp. nov. In South Korea, A. Shinohara captured a male of M. gigantea together with 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ M. pulchra sp. nov. from the same J.? mandshurica tree at end of May and beginning of June 2002.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFDEFF82FDEDF8A1FBCBFCCD.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela gigantea is similar to species with the terga 2 – 3 or 2 – 4 laterally extensively white (dorsally black in M. euchroma sp. nov. and in the Nearctic species except for M. major). It is unique among the East Asian species in the predominantly red brown head (predominantly black in M. parki, pale yellow color and less extensive in M. togashii) bearing a large infuscate spot on face and vertex (completely red brown in M. fulvago sp. nov.), which does not extend to the antennal toruli ventrally (spot extending to toruli in M. pulchra sp. nov.). As in M. fulvago sp. nov., the surface of the face is minutely areolate and bears scattered, shallow, 50 µm large pits (face rugose in other East Asian species at least laterally). The dorsal side of terga 2 – 4 is white laterally for 0.15 – 0.20 × the tergal width in M. gigantea and M. fulvago sp. nov., whereas the white marks are generally narrower in M. parki or narrower at least on tergum 4 in M. pulchra sp. nov. and M. togashii. The single specimen studied genetically is placed within the group, which otherwise comprises M. fulvago sp. nov., but we interpret this placement as an artefact caused by the very short sequence length of M. gigantea. Morphological results indicate two separate species.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	description	urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 5 BA 86 B 4 F-CFAC- 42 E 0 - A 2 B 8 - BC 81 E 1 C 0 B 517 Figs 6 A – G, 11 D, 12 D	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis This species is unique by the very long ovipositor sheath with the dorsal outline of valvula 3 straight and the ventral outline convex, and the ovipositor curved dorsally along its longitudinal axis.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	etymology	Etymology The Latin adjective inversus (fem. inversa) indicates the shape of the ovipositor, that, in contrast to other Megaxyela species, is dorsally curved.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Holotype USA: ♀: “ USA West Virginia, Randolph Co., Job, 38.8528 N, 79.5293 W, 1 - 20 April 2012, J. Whitaker 10067, USGS-DRO 292937 ”, [red:] “ Holotype Megaxyela inversa det. S. M. Blank & D. R. Smith 2017 ”, “ DEI-GISHym 32152 ” (USNM). Paratype UNKNOWN: 1 ♀, “ 4 / 22 / 91 ” [supposed collection date: 22. Apr. 1891, no collecting locality given, see insertion in Fig. 6 A for original labels], DEI-GISHym 22356 (USNM).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	description	Description Female COLOR. Black with white pattern, black parts with bronze to blue tinge (Fig. 6 A, C). Head below toruli brown, clypeus and labrum white, preapical region of labrum and mandibles brown white, labial palpomeres 1 – 2 white (Fig. 6 C). Antenna black with basal ¾ of scape in inner surface light orange. Pronotum and metanotum with bronze tinge, mesonotum and mesepisternum with blue tinge. Tegula basally brown, distally white. Abdominal terga and sterna black, terga 1 – 8 and sterna with white distal margins, ventral part of terga laterally with 100 µm wide white stripe, sterna 5 – 7 with 40 – 50 µm wide lateral white stripe (Fig. 6 A). Valvifer 2 red brown, valvula 3 black except for narrow brown tip, membrane between valvifer 2 and valvula 3 white (Fig. 11 D). Legs orange, procoxa and mesocoxa basally infuscate, distal 0.20 of metafemur, complete metatibia and metatarsus black. Wing subhyaline, venation and pterostigma black (Fig. 6 F – G). MORPHOLOGY. Body 10.2 mm, fore wing 11.2 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.3: 1.5. Interantennal distance 1.3 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.4 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.5 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.4 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 3.1 mm, filament 0.9 mm, with 9 articles. Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.4 μm. Ovipositor sheath 5.1 mm, 3.8 × as long as metatarsomere 1, valvula 3 1.3 × as long as valvifer 2, valvula 3 3.3 × as long as wide. On hind leg, femur 3.1 mm, tibia 4.5 mm, tarsus 3.6 mm, tarsomere 1 5.8 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.3 × as long as tarsomere 1, claws cleft, subapical tooth of claw little smaller at base than apical tooth. Head dull, lateral part of frons rugose, medial part minutely areolate with some 50 µm large pits, vertex and postocellar area mostly minutely areolate to rugulose, gena rugulose (Fig. 6 C). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum homogeneously minutely areolate. Mesepisternum medially coriarious and shining, with 20 µm large pits. Metatarsomere 1 dorsally and laterally almost glabrous, ventrally densely setose, setae 70 – 100 µm long (Fig. 6 D). Pulvilli present on metatarsomeres 1 – 4, on article 1 pulvillus 150 µm long, on article 4 230 µm (Fig. 6 E). Basal and medial sections of valvula 3 of ovipositor sheath straight dorsally, convex ventrally, preapical section almost straight on dorsal and ventral edge, with dense pattern of up to 200 μm long setae (Figs 6 A, 11 D). Ovipositor 4.6 mm long, weakly curved dorsally, without bulbous areas in middle, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 D). Valvula 1 in distal 0.6 with annuli, basal annuli much more widely spaced then medial and distal annuli, medial annuli very narrowly spaced, subparallel, straight, vertical, ventral edge in distal 0.2 bearing small serrulae. Valvula 2 in distal 0.3 with widely spaced annuli, annuli not extending to ventral edge of valvula, distal 0.3 of dorsal edge of valvula 1 with partly prominent, rounded denticles. Male Unknown.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC3FF84FE53FC5BFC9CF859.taxon	discussion	Remarks The ovipositor is curved dorsally in Megaxyela inversa sp. nov. (Fig. 12 D), which is an unusual condition in sawflies and unique in Macroxyelinae (Fig. 12 A – B, E – H; Smith & Schiff 1998: figs 16 – 21). The predominant number of sawflies and woodwasps have the ovipositor curved ventrally or the ovipositor is straight (see, e. g., figures in Weltz & Vilhelmsen 2014). Among Xyelidae, the sheath is curved dorsally to a various degree in species of Pleroneura Konow, 1897 (e. g., Smith et al. 1977; Shinohara 1995, 2016) and in Xyela concava Burdick, 1961 (Burdick 1961). Among Nearctic Megaxyela this species is most similar to M. bicoloripes and M. tricolor by the slender metatarsus and the red brown metafemur bearing an extensively infuscate apex. It is readily distinguished from all other Megaxyela species by the outline of the basal and medial portion of valvula 3, which in lateral view is straight dorsally and evenly curved ventrally. The remaining Megaxyela species have either both the dorsal and the ventral outlines of valvula 3 curved, or the dorsal outline is curved and the ventral straight (Fig. 11 A – C, 11 E – H; Smith & Schiff 1998: figs 7 – 11). The paratype is presumably from North America because of its discovery in a US collection and the holotype is from West Virginia. Morphometry and figures are from the paratype since the specimen used as holotype was discovered too late to include in this paper.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC4FF87FD81FEECFCEFFCBB.taxon	description	Figs 7 A – F, 11 E	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC4FF87FD81FEECFCEFFCBB.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Holotype USA: ♀: “ State College Miss. 4 / 7 / 32 ”; “ J. M. Langston Collector ”; “ Pecan 283813 ”; [red:] “ Holotype Megaxyela langstoni Ross ♀ ”; “ INHS Type # 1071 ”; “ DEI-GISHym 30821 ” (INHS), left posterior leg missing. The locality data correspond with the present-day Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in Starkville. Additional material examined USA: 1 ♀, Mississippi, Starkville [“ Ag. Coll. Miss. ”], 10 Apr. 1915, C. C. Greer leg., DEI-GISHym 30822 (USNM); 1 ♀, Oklahoma, Pawnee County, Pawnee, 352736 East Hwy 64, 36.292 ° N, 96.716 ° W, Malaise trap, 9 – 23 Apr. 2016, C. Apgar leg., DEI-GISHym 30796 (specimen used for barcoding) (USNM); 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Texas (USNM).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC4FF87FD81FEECFCEFFCBB.taxon	description	Supplementary description Female Synantennomere 3 3.8 mm, filament 0.8 mm, with (6 –) 8 – 9 articles. Pulvilli present on metatarsomeres 1 – 4, on article 1 pulvillus 100 µm long, on article 4 170 µm (Fig. 7 D – E). See key for additional characters.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC4FF87FD81FEECFCEFFCBB.taxon	biology_ecology	Host plant Pecan (Carya illinoinensis; cited as “ Carya pecan A. & G. ” by Ross 1936) and possibly additional species of Carya (Dyar 1898 b as M. major; Yuasa 1923 as Megaxyela sp. 1). Supposedly also the photo by Ree (2014) of gregarious larvae of M. ‘ major ’ feeding on pecan refers here.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC4FF87FD81FEECFCEFFCBB.taxon	discussion	Remarks Smith (1978, 1979) treated Megaxyela langstoni as a synonym of M. major. With some reservation, Smith & Schiff (1998) discussed differences in behavior, color and morphology as possible intraspecific variation. Here we reinstate M. langstoni sp. rev. as a valid species. The analysis of the barcoding region of three females, all originating from a collection site in Oklahoma, resulted in two clades (DEI-GISHym 30796 and 30767 + 30797, respectively) separated by a minimum pairwise distance of 13.5 %, while the two specimens included in the clade 30767 + 30797 are separated by a mimimum pairwise distance of only 0.3 % (Fig. 2). This observation is paralleled by different coloration of the adults corresponding with the type material and the descriptions of M. langstoni and M. major: Specimen 30796 agrees with M. langstoni in the predominantly red brown terga and the basally black pterostigma (Fig. 7 A), while the specimens 30767 + 30797 agree with M. major in the dorsally predominantly black terga and the unicolorous yellow pterostigma (Fig. 7 G). Several specimens included in the type series of M. langstoni were reared from the pecan Carya illinoinensis (Ross 1936). Ross (1936) also referred to the descriptions of larvae of M. major by Dyar (1898 b) and Yuasa (1923). Dyar described the larvae as “ gregarious on the young leaves of hickory ” [= Carya spec.]. Yuasa (1923) noted “ on hickory and pecan ”. If the association of larvae described by Yuasa as “ Megaxyela sp. 1 ” with M. major by J. M. Langston and H. H. Ross is correct, M. major is a “ solitary feeder on pecan and some other hickories ” (Ross 1936). Citing M. major, M. langstoni has been listed as a pest of pecan in Texas, but “ in most cases sawfly damage is just ‘ visual discomfort’ where the larvae have damaged some of the new foliage ” (Ree 2012, 2014). Significant defoliations, which might justify a treatment, obviously are rare (Ree 2016). Smith & Schiff (1998) recorded Megaxyela major from 14 states of the eastern US. Collection data from Mississippi completely refer to M. langstoni (type material and additional specimens). We identified additional material from Oklahoma and Texas. For the distribution of M. major, we confirm Kansas (holotype of Odontophyes ferruginea), Texas (lectotype of Xyela major) and, upon additional specimens studied, also Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Adults from Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New York and South Carolina need to be re-identified. The state records for Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia are based on larvae solely. Since the larvae of four of seven Nearctic Megaxyela are unknown, and Megaxyela larvae generally display only vague specific differences according to our experience with East Asian taxa, these records require scrutiny. Ross (1936) discriminated the larvae of M. langstoni and M. major by the presence of a single large dark area vs pairs of black spots on the pronotum and the penultimate abdominal segment. But these character states might also apply to those Nearctic species of Megaxyela for which the larvae are still unknown.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC6FF88FDE7FCA4FE0FFE75.taxon	description	Fig. 7 G – K	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC6FF88FDE7FCA4FE0FFE75.taxon	materials_examined	Type material USA: ♀, lectotype of Xyela major (designated by Cresson 1916): “ Texas, (Belfrage) ” (Cresson 1880) (ANSP, Type No. 330), studied by Smith & Schiff (1998: 646). Cresson (1880) described the abdomen as “ blackish-brown above ”. He did not refer to the pterostigma but noted “ nervures ferruginous ”. Paralectotype ♂ (here studied): “ Tex. ”; “ 12. ”; [blue:] “ Para-Type 530.2 ”; “ Megaxyela major (Cresson) Det. D. Burdick ‘ 54 ”; “ DEI-GISHYM 30823 ”; ANSP. Fragments of fore legs glued to label, head glued to specimen, left antennal filament missing (Fig. 7 G – H). USA: ♀, holotype of Odontophyes ferruginea: [red:] “ Type ♀ Odontophyes ferruginea J. C. Bridwell ”; [red:] “ Odontophyes ferruginea Brid., ♀ TYPE ”; “ Baldwin Kansas ”; “ Bridwell Apr. ”; [handwritten:] “ on Salix shrub willow ”; “ USNM Ent 00778020 ” (USNM). Good shape; left antenna missing beyond scape; right hind tarsus missing. The synonymy with M. major by Ross (1932) is here confirmed. Additional material examined USA: 1 ♀, Oklahoma, Pawnee County, Pawnee, 352736 East Hwy 64, 36.292 ° N, 96.716 ° W, Malaise trap, 23 Apr. – 3 May 2011, C. Apgar leg., DEI-GISHym 30767 (specimen used for barcoding) (USNM); 1 ♀, same locality, Malaise trap, 9 – 23 Apr. 2016, C. Apgar leg., DEI-GISHym 30797 (specimen used for barcoding) (USNM); 1 ♀, Pennsylvania, Huntington, 3 Jun. 1934 (USNM).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC6FF88FDE7FCA4FE0FFE75.taxon	description	Supplementary description Male Synantennomere 3 3.7 mm, filament 0.7 mm, with 7 articles. Pulvilli present on metatarsomeres 1 – 4, on article 1 pulvillus 80 µm long, on article 4 120 µm (Fig. 7 J – K). See key for additional characters.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC6FF88FDE7FCA4FE0FFE75.taxon	biology_ecology	Host plant Supposedly pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and possibly additional Carya species (Ross 1936).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC6FF88FDE7FCA4FE0FFE75.taxon	discussion	Remarks See Megaxyela langstoni.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC9FF89FDF8FDE1FADDF926.taxon	description	Figs 1 D, 8 A – H, 11 F, 12 F, 13 D	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC9FF89FDF8FDE1FADDF926.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined or reported in literature SOUTH KOREA: 1 ♂, Chollanam-do, Sonamsa, 34.98 ° N, 127.33 ° E, 19 Apr. 1990, H. - J. Choe leg., DEI-GISHym 710 (CALS); 1 ♀ (holotype, CIS), 4 ♀♀ (paratypes, NSMT), Kangwon-do, Chuncheon, 7.5 km SW, Mt. Samagsan, 37.80 ° N, 127.68 ° E, 650 m alt., 9 May 1990, A. Shinohara leg. (Shinohara 1992); 1 ♀, Kangwon-do, Mirugam (Pugdaesa), Mt. Odaesan, 37.80 ° N, 128.57 ° E, 1300 m alt., 24 May 1989, A. Shinohara leg. (paratype, USNM) (Shinohara 1992); 1 ♀, same locality, 27 May 1989, A. Shinohara leg., (paratype, NSMT) (Shinohara 1992); 3 ♀♀, same locality, 29 May 1993, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-GISHym 18510 (NSMT); 1 ♀, same locality, 30 May 1993, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT); 1 ♀, same locality, 31 May 1993, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-GISHym 18509 (NSMT); 1 ♀, same locality, 1 Jun. 1993, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC9FF89FDF8FDE1FADDF926.taxon	description	Description See Shinohara (1992) and Figs 8 A – B, 11 F. Female Ovipositor about 2.6 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and valvula 2 without bulbous zone, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 F). Pulvilli present on metatarsomeres 1 – 4, on article 1 pulvillus 130 – 150 µm long, on article 4 150 – 180 µm (Fig. 8 G – H). Male COLOR. Similar to female (Figs 1 D, 8 D – E, H). Tergum 8, sterna 4 – 6, subgenital plate and genitalia red brown, sterna 1 – 3 black with red brown mark medially. MORPHOLOGY. Body 9.8 mm, fore wing 11.5 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.8: 1.8. Interantennal distance 1.2 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.4 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.4 × as long as wide, frons 1.5 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 4.0 mm, antennal filament 0.8 mm, with 7 articles. Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.5 mm. On hind leg, femur 3.8 mm, tibia 5.1 mm, tarsus 4.3 mm, tarsomere 1 4.5 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.5 × as long as tarsomere 1. Claws and microsculpture similar to female. Subgenital plate bluntly pointed at apex. Valviceps of penis valve distally evenly rounded, basal third of upper side expanded to a round lobe coiled laterally, medial 0.4 – 0.7 of upper edge with irregular teeth. Distal 0.4 of valviceps with long setae, lower portion of medial 0.4 – 0.7 with short setae (Fig. 13 D).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC9FF89FDF8FDE1FADDF926.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela parki belongs to the group of East Asian species with extensively white terga 2 – 4. Among these species, it is unique in the completely red brown tergum 7 (black and laterally / ventrally white in other species). It is also easily identified by its comparatively short antennae with the antennal filament comprising 6 – 7 articles, long valvula 3 of the ovipositor sheath, almost completely black head, red brown antennae, and yellow white metatarsus. The previously unknown male is similar to the female in color. Both male and female bear a much less dense hair cover on the posterior tarsi than other East Asian taxa. The larval host is still unknown.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	description	urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 1079 C 626 - 6 C 18 - 4 EC 2 - 86 DB- 863 D 9 F 49 E 768 Figs 9 A – I, 11 G, 12 G, 13 E, I	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis Megaxyela pulchra sp. nov. is characterized by the following unique combination of characters: frons above the antennal toruli rugulose, head with black spot extending from postocellar area and vertex to the antennal toruli, pterostigma yellow brown and infuscate basally and anteriorly, pectus red brown, hypopygium of male red brown.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	etymology	Etymology The Latin adjective pulcher (fem. pulchra) indicates the beauty of this species.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	materials_examined	Type material Holotype RUSSIA: ♀: “ [vertically:] RU 012 [horizontally:] RU [= Russia]: Primorskij Kraj: Ussuri Nature Reserve 43.644 ° N 132.346 ° E 150 m [alt.] 23. May 2016 leg. Kramp, Prous & Taeger ”; [red:] “ Holotype Megaxyela pulchra sp. n. det. SM Blank 2016 ”; “ DEI-GISHym 86249 (see ethanol coll.) ”, specimen used for barcoding (pinned specimen in ZIN, right midleg in ethanol collection of SDEI). Paratypes (11 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂) CHINA: 1 ♂, Hubei Sheng, Guanmenshan, Shennongjia, 31.43 ° N, 110.36 ° E, 21 May 2010, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT) (specimen DEI-GISHym 18504 used for barcoding); 1 ♂, Jilin Sheng, 43.00 ° N, 126.00 ° E, Jul. 1987 (CSCS); 1 ♀, Liaoning Sheng, 41.00 ° N, 123.00 ° E, 8 May 1958 (CSCS); 1 ♀, Shaanxi Sheng, Foping County, Daguping, 33.58 ° N, 107.77 ° E, 1320 m alt., 28. Apr. 2006, Mojun He leg. DEI-GISHym 22563 (CSCS); 1 ♀, Tibet Autonomous Region, Metok [“ Motuo ”, Mêdok], 29.32 ° N, 95.32 ° E, 1050 m alt., 9 Apr. 1980, Yingtao Jin leg. (CSCS). RUSSIA: 1 ♀, Primorskiy Kray, Anisimovka, 43.17 ° N, 132.80 ° E, 26 May 1974, Berezantsev leg. (IBSS); 1 ♀, Primorskiy Kray, Lazovskiy Rayon, Lazo, 43.20 ° E, 134.15 ° N, 21 – 24 May 2008, V. Shokhrin leg. (IBSS); 1 ♀, Primorskiy Kray, Ussuri Nature Reserve, 43.67 ° N, 132.30 ° E, 23 May 1994, A. Lelej leg., DEI-GISHym 18501 (NSMT); 1 ♀, Primorskiy Kray, Voroshilovskiy Rayon, Suputinka River, 43.63 ° N, 132.10 ° E, 11 Jun. 1935, T. Samoylov leg. (ZIN). SOUTH KOREA: 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, Kangwon-do, Mirugam (Pugdaesa), Mt. Odaesan, 37.80 ° N, 128.57 ° E, 1300 m alt., collected from Juglans? mandshurica, 1 Jun. 2002, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT) (including 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂ DEI-GISHym 18503, 22347, 22349 used for barcoding, also including DEI-GISHym 22346, 22348 illustrated in figures); 1 ♀, same locality, 31 May 1998, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	description	Description Female COLOR. Body red brown with black and white pattern, black parts with bronze to blue tinge (Fig. 9 A – C). Head brown, black spot of frons and vertex ventrally extending to toruli and leaving narrow stripe along inner orbits brown (Fig. 9 F). Antenna black, narrow base of scape brown. Thorax with following parts black: Large medial spot on pronotum, complete dorsal side of mesothorax and metathorax, variable marks on dorsal corner of mesepisternum, metepimeron and metepisternum; mesopostnotum posteriorly and lateral mesonotal lobes with shared small brown spot laterally extending to mesoscutellum. Abdomen in dorsal view with continuous white bands laterally on terga 2 – 3 (each about 0.1 × as wide as tergal width), tergum 4 and 8 with narrower band or inconspicuously white, ventral portions of terga 2 – 4 and 8 completely white, of terga 5 – 7 black in dorsal half and white in ventral half, of tergum 9 + 10 brown (Fig. 9 B – C). Sterna white, in two specimens on anterior margin of sterna 1 – 5 with pairs of black marks each about as wide as ocellar diameter (Fig. 9 C), valvifer 2 and valvula 3 brown (tip of valvula 3 black only in holotype, Fig. 11 G), membrane between valvifer 2 and valvula 3 pale. Legs brown with following black pattern: stripe on posterolateral margin of mesocoxa, dorsal, lateral and lateral third of ventral side of metacoxa, metafemur except for narrow base and fading stripe from base to middle along ventral side, metatibia and metatarsus. Wing hyaline and weakly brown stained, venation brown, pterostigma yellow brown with narrow base and anterior margin infuscate (Fig. 9 A – B). MORPHOLOGY. Body 10.8 – 13.4 mm, fore wing 14.9 – 16.0 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.9 – 2.1: 1.9 – 2.0. Interantennal distance 1.0 – 1.1 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye, malar space 0.6 – 0.7 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.7 – 1.8 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 3.8 – 4.9 mm, filament 1.2 – 1.3 mm, with (8 –) 9 – 10 articles. Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.4 – 0.5 mm long. Ovipositor sheath 3.1 – 3.4 mm, valvula 3 1.5 – 1.6 × as long as valvifer 2, valvula 3 2.0 – 2.2 × as long as wide (Fig. 11 G). On hind leg, femur 4.6 – 5.4, tibia 5.3 – 6.2 mm, tarsus 3.7 – 4.4 mm, tarsomere 1 4.0 – 4.3 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.6 – 0.7 times as long as tarsomere 1, subapical tooth of claw stout and slightly shorter than apical tooth (Fig. 9 G – H). Head dull, medial part of frons and vertex minutely areolate, frons above toruli rugulose, gena coriarious. Inner and outer orbits with continuous carina, on inner orbit separating red brown stripe along eye from black spot of frons (Fig. 9 F). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum homogeneously, minutely areolate. Mesepisternum coriarious, shining, with shallow pits. Metatarsomere 1 sparsely setose dorsally and dorsolaterally, densely setose lateroventrally and ventrally, setae up to 200 µm long ventrally. Pulvilli absent on article 1 of metatarsus, present on articles 2 – 4, on article 4 pulvillus 70 µm long (Fig. 9 G – H). Basal and medial sections of valvula 3 of ovipositor sheath convex dorsally, almost straight ventrally, preapical section concave on dorsal and ventral edge, medial to preapical section of dorsal margin and ventral margin with up to 150 μm long setae (Fig. 11 G). Ovipositor about 2.8 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and valvula 2 with bulbous areas close to middle, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 G). Valvula 1 in distal 0.6 with very narrowly spaced, subparallel, straight, vertical annuli, ventral edge in distal 0.3 bearing very small serrulae. Valvula 2 in distal 0.6 with narrowly spaced annuli, distal 0.4 of dorsal edge of valvula 1 with small denticles. Male COLOR. Similar to female (Fig. 9 D – E). Subgenital plate and genitalia red brown (Fig. 13 I). MORPHOLOGY. Body 10.2 – 10.9 mm, fore wing 12.7 – 13.4 mm long. POL: OOL: OCL = 1.0: 1.9 – 2.2: 1.8 – 2.0. Interantennal distance 1.0 – 1.1 × as wide as distance between torulus and eye margin, malar space 0.5 – 0.6 × as wide as interantennal distance. Eye 1.3 – 1.4 × as long as wide, frons at dorsal edge of antennal toruli 1.7 – 1.8 × as wide as maximum diameter of eye. Synantennomere 3 4.4 – 4.8 mm, filament (1.0 –) 1.2 – 1.4 mm, with 9 – 11 articles (one male with left filament 1.2 mm long, 9 articles, right filament 1.0 mm long, 7 articles). Article 3 of maxillary palp 0.4 – 0.5 mm. On hind leg, femur 4.3 – 4.6 mm, tibia 5.2 – 5.5 mm, tarsus 4.4 – 4.6 mm, tarsomere 1 4.2 – 4.8 × as long as wide, longer distal spur of tibia 0.5 × as long as tarsomere 1. Claws, pulvilli and microsculpture similar to female (Fig. 9 I). Subgenital plate bluntly pointed at apex. Valviceps of penis valve distally evenly rounded, basal 0.4 of upper side expanded to a round lobe coiled laterally (Fig. 13 E), medial 0.4 – 0.8 of upper margin almost straight, with numerous small teeth. Distal 0.8 of valviceps with long setae, most dense on lower portion in medial 0.2 – 0.5 (Fig. 13 E).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	biology_ecology	Host plant In South Korea, A. Shinohara captured two females and three males from Juglans? mandshurica. Host records of J. ailanthifolia (cited as J. sieboldiana), J. mandshurica, J. regia (including the synonym J. sinensis), Pterocarya rhoifolia and P. stenoptera stated for Megaxyela gigantea by Saito (1941), Ko (1969) and Xiao (2006) might also contain the new species M. pulchra sp. nov.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFC8FF8DFE14F933FD62F911.taxon	discussion	Remarks Among East Asian Megaxyela, this species is morphologically close to M. togashii. Both species have the frons above the antennal toruli rugulose (frons microareolate throughout in M. fulvago sp. nov. and M. gigantea) and extensively black (completely or largely red brown in M. fulvago sp. nov. and M. gigantea), valvula 3 2.0 – 2.2 × as long as wide (2.8 – 3.0 in M. parki), pterostigma infuscate basally and anteriorly (unicolorous yellow brown in M. fulvago sp. nov., M. gigantea and M. parki, completely black in M. euchroma sp. nov.), basal lobe of valviceps small and distally truncate, upper edge medially almost straight and lacking large teeth, long setae present on the lower portion in the medial 0.2 – 0.5 (basal lobe more prominent in M. euchroma sp. nov., M. fulvago sp. nov., M. gigantea and M. parki sp. nov., upper edge raised medially in M. gigantea, large teeth on the upper edge present particularly in M. euchroma sp. nov., long setae absent in medial portion of valviceps in M. euchroma sp. nov. and M. parki sp. nov.). Megaxyela pulchra sp. nov. differs from the Nearctic species of Megaxyela, except for M. langstoni and M. major, and from the East Asian M. euchroma sp. nov. in the presence of a broad, continuous white band dorsolaterally and ventrally on terga 2 – 3. Such extensive white pattern on the basal terga is absent in most North American species, which at most bear a narrow white stripe along the ventral margin of the terga as observed in M. alisonae, M. bicoloripes and M. tricolor (Smith & Schiff 1998; Blank, unpublished data). Megaxyela pulchra sp. nov. differs from M. langstoni and M. major, for example, in the black metatarsus (yellow white in M. major) and in the stout valvula 3 of the ovipositor sheath (Fig. 11 G; slender in M. major, see Smith & Schiff 1998: fig. 7). Morphological differences between M. pulchra sp. nov. and M. togashii are faint: the mesoscutellum is homogeneously areolate and flat in M. pulchra sp. nov., but areolate in the middle, with a wide stripe along lateral and anterior margin rugose with areolate microsculpture in M. togashii; the distance between the toruli is 0.95 – 1.05 × as wide as the distance between torulus and eye margin in M. pulchra sp. nov. ♀ but 1.20 × in M. togashii ♀; the malar space is 0.6 – 0.7 × as wide as the distance between toruli in M. pulchra sp. nov. but 0.4 in M. togashii. The two species exhibit different tendencies of coloration: the face, ventral part of mesepisternum and mesosternum, and dorsal portion of tergum 4 are paler in M. pulchra sp. nov., while the posteriolateral ridge of the mesoscutal lateral lobe is paler in M. togashii. The subgenital plate of the male M. pulchra sp. nov. is red brown as in M. gigantea, whereas it is white in the male M. togashii. The anterior margins of the sterna always bear a pair of large black marks in M. togashii. Such marks are absent in other Megaxyela (see Smith & Schiff 1998 for Nearctic species) except for M. pulchra sp. nov., whose female rarely bears small marks on the sterna. These spots are a putative apomorphy of the vicariant species M. pulchra sp. nov. from the East Asian mainland and M. togashii from Japan. Among Xyelidae, similar pairs of sibling species (or at least morphologically very similar species) with East-Asian mainland / Japanese vicariance have been observed among Xyela species associated with Japanese red pine, Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zuccarini (Blank et al. 2005). The specimens studied genetically are supported by a bootstrap of 100 %. The maximum intraspecific variation is 3.1 %. The nearest neighbor, M. togashii, is placed at a minimum pairwise distance of 8.0 %. Zhelochovtsev & Zinovjev (1995), Lelej & Taeger (2007) and Lelej (2012) listed M. gigantea for the Russian Far East, but at least the female from Voroshilovskiy Rayon identified by A. Zinovjev refers to M. pulchra sp. nov. Sundukov (2009) noted a specimen from Lazo differing from M. gigantea, which is included as a paratype of M. pulchra sp. nov. here. The specimens published by Shinohara (1992) for South Korea all belong to M. gigantea.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFCCFFB0FDE8F906FC15FD3E.taxon	description	Figs 10 A – J, 11 H, 12 H, 13 F	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFCCFFB0FDE8F906FC15FD3E.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined or reported in literature JAPAN: 6 larvae, Hokkaido, Ashoro town, Asahi, 43.233 ° N, 143.500 ° E, 100 m alt., 30 Jun. 2010, A. Shinohara and H. Hara leg., on Juglans ailanthifolia, including DEI-GISHym 30805 – 30807 (NSMT) (Shinohara et al. 2017); 2 larvae, Hokkaido, Ashoro town, Nishikitoushi, 43.383 ° N, 143.367 ° E, 345 m alt., 1 Jul. 2010, A. Shinohara and H. Hara leg., on Juglans ailanthifolia, including DEI-GISHym 30804 (NSMT) (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 larva, Hokkaido, Shintoku town, 43.083 ° N, 142.817 ° E, 200 m alt., 26 Jun. 2011, H. Hara leg. (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 larva, Hokkaido, Sapporo city, Misumai, 42.950 ° N, 141.250 ° E, 160 m alt., 19 Jun. 2013, H. Hara leg. (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 larva, Hokkaido, Sapporo city, Koganeyu, 42.967 ° N, 141.200 ° E, 250 m alt., 19 Jun. 2013, H. Hara leg. (not preserved) (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 ♀, Honshu, Aomori Prefecture, Minami-Hakkoda, 40.60 ° N, 140.84 ° E, 30 May 1999, M. Yamada leg., M. Yamada coll. (Yamada 2000; reliable record, not re-examined); 1 ♂, paratype, Honshu, Hiroshima Prefecture, Kamiyama, Kure, 34.28 ° N, 132.57 ° E, 7 May 1933, coll. Nakanishi (UOP) (Shinohara 1992); 1 ♀, Honshu, Hyogo Prefecture, Sayo-gun, Mikazuki-cho, Mihara, 34.95 ° N, 134.42 ° E, 18 May 1995, T. Sasai leg., DEI-GISHym 22353 (KUEL) (Naito 2004); 1 ♀, Honshu, Hyogo Prefecture, Shiso-gun, Haga-cho, Akasai-keikoku, 35.23 ° N, 134.48 ° E, 680 m alt., 8 Jun. 1986, T. Morita leg., T. Morita coll. (Naito et al. 2004; reliable record, not re-examined); 1 ♀, holotype, Honshu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Yoshinodani-mura, Senami, 36.32 ° N, 136.65 ° E, 29 Jun. 1964, I. Togashi leg., DEI-GISHym 22352 (NSMT) (distal articles of right antenna glued to collecting label; Shinohara 1992); 5 larvae, 1 egg, Honshu, Hyogo prefecture, Tatsuno city, Shingu town, 34.867 ° N, 134.567 ° E, 35 m alt., 30 Apr. 2016, on Juglans ailanthifolia, A. Shinohara leg., including Shinohara’s sample numbers 761 – 764 (NSMT) (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 ♀, Honshu, Okayama Prefecture, Kawakami-gun, Bichu-cho, Nishiyuno, 34.80 ° N, 133.47 ° E, 5 May 1986, A. Watanabe leg., A. Watanabe coll. (Watanabe 1992, misidentified as M. gigantea); 1 ♂, Honshu, Okayama Prefecture, Tamagashi, Okayama-shi, 34.72 ° N, 133.97 ° E, 10 m alt., 3 May 2005, A. Shinohara leg., DEI-GISHym 22354, used for barcoding (NSMT) (Shinohara 2006); 1 ♂, as preceding, except 2 May 2006, DEI-GISHym 22521 used for barcoding (NSMT) (Shinohara 2006); 1 specimen, Honshu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Kuga-gun, Nishiki-machi, Mt. Jakuchi-san, Sancho [= summit], 34.47 ° N, 132.05 ° E, 1337 m alt., 6 Jun. 1993, K. Tanaka leg., K. Tanaka coll. (Tanaka 1999, reliable record, not re-examined); 2 larvae, Shikoku, Ehime prefecture, Kihoku town, Narukawa-keikoku, 33.200 ° N, 132.617 ° E, 650 m alt., 5 May 2016, on Juglans ailanthifolia, A. Shinohara leg., Shinohara’s sample numbers 765 – 766 (NSMT) (Shinohara et al. 2017); 1 ♀, Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture, Narukawa-keikoku, Kihoku-cho, 33.20 ° N, 132.62 ° E, 550 m alt., 8 May 2006, A. Shinohara leg. (NSMT) (Shinohara 2006).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFCCFFB0FDE8F906FC15FD3E.taxon	description	Description See Shinohara (1992) and Figs 10 A – C, G – H, 11 H (ovipositor sheath). Female Ovipositor about 2.4 mm long, weakly curved ventrally, valvula 1 and 2 with bulbous areas close to middle, without ctenidia (Fig. 12 H). Body 12.6 mm, fore wing 15.4 mm long. Black spot on face extending lateroventrally to mid-level of toruli, medially continuous with predominantly black subantennal area (holotype with two small brown spots) or subantennal area yellow (specimen from Mihara). Pulvilli absent on article 1 of metatarsus, present on articles 3 – 4, presence ambiguous for article 2, on article 4 pulvillus 70 µm long. Male (specimen from Tamagashi, DEI-GISHym 22354, Fig. 10 D – F, I – J) Body 12.0 mm, fore wing 13.4 mm. Antennal filament 1.3 mm long, with 8 – 9 articles. Valviceps distally parabolically rounded, basal quarter of upper side expanded to a round lobe weakly coiled laterally, section of upper edge distal of lobe straight or with shallow elevations, close to the lobe with irregular teeth, in medial 0.3 – 0.8 with numerous small teeth. Distal 0.7 of valviceps with long setae, dense in medial and lower portion of middle (Fig. 13 F).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFCCFFB0FDE8F906FC15FD3E.taxon	biology_ecology	Host plant Ten larvae identified by their COI sequences as M. togashii were found feeding on Juglans ailanthifolia (Shinohara et al. 2017). In addition, three adults were collected from trees of this walnut species (Shinohara 2006, citing the synonym J. mandshurica Maxim. ssp. sieboldiana [Maxim.] Kitamura). Japanese Wingnut, Pterocarya rhoifolia Sieb. & Zucc., possibly represents an additional larval host (Shinohara et al. 2017). Takeuchi’s (1949) record of Juglans for M. ‘ gigantea ’ (= M. togashii) in a checklist of the host plants of Japanese sawflies most likely concerns Saito’s (1941) rearing record for M. gigantea from Korea (see also Takeuchi 1938).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFCCFFB0FDE8F906FC15FD3E.taxon	discussion	Remarks Megaxyela togashii is the correct name for the Japanese species, which has been called M. gigantea by Takeuchi (1937), Togashi (1965) and subsequent authors up to Shinohara (1992). This species is most similar to M. pulchra sp. nov. in structure and color. See Remarks there for differentiation of these two species. The clade including two genetically studied adults from Honshu, which were collected on the same site, is supported by a bootstrap of 100 %. The maximum intraspecific variation is 1.4 %. Under a wider geographical scope, Shinohara et al. (2017) observed a variation of 4.3 % after inclusion of ten larvae from Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. Even then the intraspecific variation is smaller than the minimum pairwise distance of 8.0 % to the nearest neighbor, M. pulchra sp. nov.	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFF1FFB0FDE4FD55FCB5FA9E.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined USA: 1 ♀, West Virginia, Upshur County, Ruraldale, 12 Apr. 2014, photographed by S. Cresswell (Cresswell 2014).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFF1FFB0FDE4FD55FCB5FA9E.taxon	description	Supplementary description See Smith & Schiff (1998). Female. Antenna black. Metafemur orange with extreme apex on outer surface black (1 ♀ studied by Smith & Schiff 1998) or distal 0.4 black (Cresswell 2014).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
03C587E2FFF1FFB0FDE4FD55FCB5FA9E.taxon	discussion	Remarks This is the first state record for West Virginia. The species has been found in Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and in Ontario (Smith & Schiff 1998).	en	Stephan M. Blank, Katja Kramp, David R. Smith, Yuri N. Sundukov, Meicai Wei, Akihiko Shinohara (2017): Big and beautiful: the Megaxyela species (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) of East Asia and North America. European Journal of Taxonomy 348: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2017.348
