Xeris muratensis, Boderau & Engel & Jouault & Nel, 2024

Boderau, Mathieu, Engel, Michael S., Jouault, Corentin & Nel, André, 2024, A horntail wasp from the Upper Miocene of France closely related to an extant Eastern Palaearctic species (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), Zootaxa 5538 (2), pp. 194-200 : 195-197

Xeris muratensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1-2 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:02C67631-E11B-41C0-AC30-EFAE3E6DE038

Material. Holotype IF-STR-0101 (a nearly complete forewing), paratypes IF-STR-0102 (a fragmentary forewing with remnants of abdomen with ovipositor), and IF-STR-0103 (a female with head, thorax and abdomen with ovipositor, overlapping forewing and hind wing in connection), provisionally deposited in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, to be stored in the Musée de Murat, Cantal France.

Etymology. Named after the town of Murat, close to the outcrop of Sainte-Reine in Cantal.

Locality and horizon. Latest Miocene, diatom paleomaar, Sainte-Reine (quarry of Foufouilloux, Virargues village), near Murat, Cantal, France.

Diagnosis. Thorax completely dark; in forewing, a light yellow cell C; with a white base of pterostigma on both sides of junction with vein 1r-rs; a darkened zone covering cells 1R1, 1M, and part of 2Cu.

Descriptions. Holotype IF-STR-0101 ( Fig. 1A ). Forewing ca. 16.0 mm long, 3.0 mm wide; 2rs-m present, ending in cell 2M; 1cu–a not aligned with 1M, joining Cu in basal fourth between 1m –cu and 1M; 1M not markedly curved; 3A absent; 3R1 approximately 5× as long as wide; Cu1 absent; 1r-rs clearly longer than wide; 1Rs2 clearly longer than wide; 2r-rs joining pterostigma near middle; pterostigma gradually attenuated distal to junction with 2r-rs; 3rs-m well distad 2m-cu; base of pterostigma white on both sides of junction with 1r-rs; a darkened zone covering cells 1R1, 1M, and part of 2Cu.

Paratype IF-STR-0102 ( Fig. 1B ). Preserved part of forewing 12.0 mm long, 3.0 mm wide; venation and pattern of coloration identical to those of the holotype.

Paratype IF-STR-0103 ( Fig. 2 ). Body completely black without yellow zone on thorax; head 2.0 mm long; thorax 4.5 mm long; abdomen 12.0 mm long, ovipositor mm long; forewing 11.8 mm long, 2.8 mm wide; forewing venation and pattern of coloration identical to those of two other specimens. Hind wing venation not discernable.

Remark. These fossils have forewings with nearly the same dimensions and the same coloration pattern and are therefore attributed to the same species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Xeris muratensis sp. nov. A. Holotype IF-STR-0101, fossilized together with an ichneumonid forewing. B. Paratype IF-STR-0102. Scale bars = 3 mm.

FIGURE 2. Xeris muratensis sp. nov. Paratype IF-STR-0103. Scale bar = 3 mm.