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Title: The description of Rovnoeucoila tympanomorpha Buffington & Perkovsky, a new genus and species of fossil eucoiline,with observations on the asynchronous evolution of Diglyphosematini (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae)

Author
item Buffington, Matthew
item PERKOVSKY, E. - National Academy Of Sciences Of Ukraine
item BRADY, S. - Smithsonian Research Institute

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2014
Publication Date: 7/15/2014
Publication URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.4289/0013-8797.116.3.243
Citation: Buffington, M.L., Perkovsky, E., Brady, S.J. 2014. The description of Rovnoeucoila tympanomorpha Buffington & Perkovsky, a new genus and species of fossil eucoiline, with observations on the asynchronous evolution of Diglyphosematini (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 116:243-254.

Interpretive Summary: A new species is described from a fossil imbedded in amber from the Cretaceous Period. Fossils have been used to determine the minimum age of animals, and here, we use this new fossil to question how insects and their natural enemies evolved. We posit that long associations may result in better management of natural enemies, while novel associations may be more virulent, yet may lead to unexpected consequences later on. Biological control specialists, taxonomists, and extension agents will find the published data useful for their work.

Technical Abstract: A new genus and species of Eucoilinae, Rovnoeucoila tympanomorpha Buffington & Perkovsky, from a Rovno Amber inclusion, is described. This new taxon differs from extant eucoilines by having a clearly segmented metasoma and singular flagellomere morphology in the antenna. The new taxon is included the re-analysis of a fossil calibrated, relaxed molecular clock divergence date analysis of Figitidae. The new analysis infers a mean crown group age for Eucoilinae at approximately 10 years younger than previously estimated. The age of the eucoiline tribe Diglyphosematini does not change substantially in our new dating analysis, and is much younger when compared to the age of its host lineage Agromyzidae (Diptera); we discuss potential implications of this situation within the context of natural enemy selection in biological control projects that include parasitoid Hymenoptera.