Ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) in Dominican and Mexican amber

ABSTRACT

Three new species of ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae), Evaniella setifera sp. nov., Evaniella dominicana sp. nov., and Semaeomyia hispaniola sp. nov. are described from Dominican amber and Hyptia mexicana sp. nov. is described from Mexican amber. Diagnostic characters are presented and a key to the species of Evaniidae from New World Tertiary amber is provided. These descriptions show new and possibly unique morphological features of ensign wasps that existed during the Tertiary. The location of possible hosts of Evaniella setifera is suggested based on three alate termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in the same piece of Dominican amber.

KEYWORDS:

• Evaniidae
• ensign wasp
• Dominican amber
• Mexican amber
• Tertiary

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Rick Raymer for loaning the specimen of Evaniella setifer sp. nov. for study and is grateful to several anonymous reviewers whose comments have improved the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.