Neanaperiallus
Encyclopedia
Neanaperiallus is an extinct monotypic
genus
of parasitic wasp
in the Eupelmidae
subfamily Neanastatinae containing only a single species, Neanaperiallus masneri. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene Baltic amber
deposits in the Baltic Sea
region of Europe.
, number "AMNH B-JWJ-265", which is a single female specimen preserved in a nearly round amber
block shaped with five unequal sides. The block is currently residing in the American Museum of Natural History
paleoentomology collections in New York City
, USA. N. masneri was first studied by Gary A. P. Gibson, with his 2009 type description being published in the journal ZooKeys
. The generic
name was coined by Gary Gibson as a combination of the Ancient Greek
word periallos, meaning "before all others", and from "neana" from the subfamily name Neanastatinae. This is in reference to the possible relationship of Neanaperiallus to the other genera in Neanastatinae. The specific epithet "masneri" was designated by Gary Gibson in honor of Lubomír Masner in recognition of his many contributions to the study of parasitic wasps.
is included. The general coloration is a yellow tone, but it is possible the species may have in fact been a uniform brown based on clear views of the acropleuron and several of the abdomen tergites. Much of the female is obscured, with a coating of white mold covering the entire right side of the specimen. Much of the face is obscured by a large air bubble and numerous tiny bubbles reduce the clarity of the amber. Though the forewings are uniformly hyaline in coloration the right wing still obscures the top of much of the gaster and metanotum. Basally the forewings are setose whereas the costal cell is setose along the front edge only. Beyond the parastigma the setae grow sparse and the wing apex is apparently bare.
The mesosoma is short and stocky in comparison to the other genera which are placed in the Neanastatinae subfamily and many member genera of Eupelmidae overall. Similarly N. masneri has notably short antennae and middle legs. In general dorsal appearance the genus is very similar to males of the subfamily Eupelminae and the family Pteromalidae
. Gary Gibson notes that many features of the species are not describable from the single known specimen, and that more complete specimens are needed to fully describe the species. Because of the shape and short length of the ovipositor sheath Gibson postulates that Neanaperiallus masneri was parasitic on hosts which were exposed or near the surface of wood or other substrates.
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of parasitic wasp
Parasitic wasp
The term parasitoid wasp refers to a large evolutionary grade of hymenopteran superfamilies, mainly in the Apocrita. They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods...
in the Eupelmidae
Eupelmidae
Eupelmidae is a family of parasitic wasps in the superfamily Chalcidoidea. The group is apparently polyphyletic, though the different subfamilies may each be monophyletic, and may be elevated to family status in the near future. As presently defined, there are over 905 described species in 45 genera...
subfamily Neanastatinae containing only a single species, Neanaperiallus masneri. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene Baltic amber
Baltic amber
The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite, with about 80% of the world's known amber found there. It dates from 44 million years ago...
deposits in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
region of Europe.
History and classification
Neanaperiallus masneri is known only from one fossil, the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, number "AMNH B-JWJ-265", which is a single female specimen preserved in a nearly round amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
block shaped with five unequal sides. The block is currently residing in the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
paleoentomology collections in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA. N. masneri was first studied by Gary A. P. Gibson, with his 2009 type description being published in the journal ZooKeys
ZooKeys
ZooKeys is a peer-reviewed open access academic journal for the field of zoology. It was established in 2008, and the editor-in-chief is Terry Erwin from the Smithsonian Institution...
. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name was coined by Gary Gibson as a combination of the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word periallos, meaning "before all others", and from "neana" from the subfamily name Neanastatinae. This is in reference to the possible relationship of Neanaperiallus to the other genera in Neanastatinae. The specific epithet "masneri" was designated by Gary Gibson in honor of Lubomír Masner in recognition of his many contributions to the study of parasitic wasps.
Description
Neanaperiallus masneri is 3.3 millimetre (0.12992125984252 in) in length when the ovipositorOvipositor
The ovipositor is an organ used by some animals for oviposition, i.e., the laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and to place it properly...
is included. The general coloration is a yellow tone, but it is possible the species may have in fact been a uniform brown based on clear views of the acropleuron and several of the abdomen tergites. Much of the female is obscured, with a coating of white mold covering the entire right side of the specimen. Much of the face is obscured by a large air bubble and numerous tiny bubbles reduce the clarity of the amber. Though the forewings are uniformly hyaline in coloration the right wing still obscures the top of much of the gaster and metanotum. Basally the forewings are setose whereas the costal cell is setose along the front edge only. Beyond the parastigma the setae grow sparse and the wing apex is apparently bare.
The mesosoma is short and stocky in comparison to the other genera which are placed in the Neanastatinae subfamily and many member genera of Eupelmidae overall. Similarly N. masneri has notably short antennae and middle legs. In general dorsal appearance the genus is very similar to males of the subfamily Eupelminae and the family Pteromalidae
Pteromalidae
Pteromalidae is a very large family of parasitic wasps, with some 3,450 described species in some 640 genera...
. Gary Gibson notes that many features of the species are not describable from the single known specimen, and that more complete specimens are needed to fully describe the species. Because of the shape and short length of the ovipositor sheath Gibson postulates that Neanaperiallus masneri was parasitic on hosts which were exposed or near the surface of wood or other substrates.