The second Cimbicidae (Hymenoptera, ‘Symphyta’) from the Palaeocene of Menat (France)

ABSTRACT

Hervetia paleocenica gen. et sp. nov., the second oldest representative of the wasp family Cimbicidae, is described from the Palaeocene of Menat (Puy-de-Dôme, France). It shows the main putative synapomorphy of the Palaeogene subfamily Cenocimbicinae, but its anal veins and cells are unique among the whole family. The description of this new taxon confirms the high diversity of the Cimbicidae during the Palaeocene and Early Eocene.

KEYWORDS:

• Insecta
• Tenthredinoidea
• Cenocimbicinae
• gen. et sp. nov

Acknowledgments

We had the pleasure of receiving generous assistance from Bernard Duverger (President of the Communauté de Communes of Menat region), Clotilde Berger-Pompili, and Mathilde Leygnac (directors of the EHPAD du pays de Menat), for their kind help and authorisations to collect fossil insects in a small but rich outcrop near the village of Menat, during the years 2018-2020 (Puy-de-Dôme, France). We thank a lot Corentin Jouault for the photographs of the specimens of Hervetia paleocenica gen. et sp. nov., and Dr. Gaelle Doitteau (RECOLNAT) for the photograph of the holotype of Cenocimbex menatensis Nel, 2004.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

No funding was reported by the author.