Glyptosmia hemiaspis Engel, 2024

Glyptosmia hemiaspis Engel , new species

Figures 13–19 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 View FIGURE 19

DIAGNOSIS: As for the genus (above).

DESCRIPTION: FEMALE. Total body length (as preserved) 4.36 mm; forewing length (based on the left forewing as the right wing is taphonomically stretched) 2.27 mm. Integument black, shining (fig. 13); wing veins dark brown, membranes hyaline and clear (fig. 17). Head slightly longer than wide, length 1.03 mm, width 0.81 mm; labrum about as long as wide, with truncate apical margin; mandible elongate, with distinct apical tooth and larger preapical edentate margin (apex similar to Glyptapis except mandible more elongate); malar space linear; maxillary palpus tetramerous; labial palpomeres I and II long and flattened, albeit each shorter than prementum; clypeus flat, not extending below lower tangent of compound eyes; single subantennal sulcus straight to lower outer angle of torulus (visible faintly from right side; base of sulcus faint on left side), sulcus slightly longer than torular diameter; compound eye bare, slightly broader than gena in profile, inner margins straight and slightly converging below; upper interorbital distance greater than lower interorbital distance; scape short, length 0.18 mm, shorter than torulocellar distance; flagellomere I shorter than combined lengths of flagellomeres II and III (fig. 14B), flagellomeres II and III of equal lengths; preoccipital ridge sharply angled dorsally, but not carinate, rounded laterally. Mesoscutum length 0.88 mm, mesoscutellum length 0.30 mm; intertegular distance 0.85 mm; parapsidal lines short, linear; transverse mesoscutal-mesoscutellar sulcus deeply impressed and wide, seemingly weakly foveolate within depression (challenging to observe as it is difficult to illuminate properly); tegula oval, brown and semitranslucent, with weak punctures. Forewing (fig. 17) with basal vein (1M) noticeably arched, orthogonal to 1Cu; hind wing with six distal hamuli arranged in a single series; jugal lobe more than 0.5× but less than 0.65× length of anal lobe (challenging to see precise measurement).

Labrum, clypeus, and supraclypeal area with dense, small punctures, punctures separated by much less than a puncture width, nearly contiguous in some places, integument between punctures apparently smooth and shining. Lower face punctured as on clypeus, frons with similar punctures but more spaced (fig. 14), separated by 0.5–1.0× a puncture width, although those on central frons denser, integument between punctures smooth and shining; ocellocular area (fig. 14A) and vertex with punctures separated by 0.5–1.2× a puncture width; gena apparently with punctures as on vertex. Mesosoma with dense punctures (figs. 13A, 15), punctures coarser and slightly larger than those of head, punctures nearly contiguous on mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and pleura, those of pleura seemingly slightly larger than those of mesoscutum (challenging to see clearly given poor state of preservation), integument between punctures smooth and shining. Metanotum irregularly roughened with two rounded tubercles on either side of midline. Basal area of propodeum areolate, with broad seemingly impunctate triangular area on upper posterior surface. Metasomal terga II–V with pregradular surfaces depressed and polished relative to disc and apical marginal zones, pregradular areas smooth to finely imbricate with some scattered, shallow, small punctures apically; tergal discs imbricate with small punctures separated by a puncture width (fig. 16B), although laterally punctures denser, anterior-facing surface of tergum I with punctures much sparser and integument between smooth (fig. 16B).

Head (fig. 14) with numerous, short, fine, white, erect to suberect, minutely branched setae, such setae not obscuring integument, setae denser in antennal basin and supraantennal area; such setae present on labrum, labrum without distinct patches of setae; clypeus and supraclypeal area with sparsely scattered short, simple setae; frons with scattered, short, simple to minutely branched setae, such setae denser in antennal basins and becoming sparser in ocellocular area and vertex. Mesoscutum with scattered, short, simple, erect, pale setae, such setae slightly longer on mesoscutellar surface except setae along margin of axilla and mesoscutellum denser, long to elongate, lightly fuscous, and minutely branched; pleura with scattered, short, erect, largely simple setae, such setae slightly longer posteriorly and on lateral surface of propodeum; basal area of propodeum without setae. Legs with short, simple or minutely branched, pale, suberect setae except mesotibia with such setae more numerous, slightly longer, and intermixed with some thicker setae, setae on inner surface distinctly longer; mesobasitarsus with similar setae except noticeably longer than those of mesotibial outer surface; metatibia with scopa composed of abundant elongate erect setae, those of outer surface minutely branched apically or some simple, those of inner surface as on outer surface except intermixed with numerous elongate, simple, characteristically hooked setae; metabasitarsus with abundant erect to suberect, elongate, minutely branched, pale setae; meso- and metafemora with sparse, short, largely simple to minutely branched setae, such setae especially minute and simple on ventral and posterior apical surfaces; meso- and metabasitarsi with setae similar to those of corresponding tibiae. Metasomal terga with scattered, short, fine, decumbent, pale setae, such setae sparse on anterior-facing surface of tergum I, intermixed with slightly longer, erect to suberect setae, some with minute branches, laterally; tergum II onward with short discal setae intermixed with somewhat more erect setae and slightly denser apically (but not forming setal bands); narrow apical marginal zones without setae, imbricate; tergum VI with setae denser medioapically; metasomal scopa on sterna II–V composed of bands of long simple erect setae; sternum VI without scopal setae, with dense brush of minute plumose fuscous setae apically, apical margin narrowly truncate; sting simple, sting sheaths thick, short, with some apical setae.

MALE. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: Female , CNU-HYM-LF-2023-002 (fig. 13), in a single piece of amber without syninclusions, Fushun coalfield, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, Guchengzi Formation , Ypresian (Eocene); deposited in the fossil insect collection of the Key Laboratory of Insect Evolution and Environmental Changes , College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.

The holotype of Glyptosmia hemiaspis is challenging to interpret given its state of preservation (fig. 13). The bee is preserved with the head slightly pulled forward and slightly detached from meso-