Abstract Burmoxyela lii gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a male collected from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Pinguixyela gen. nov. is described for Syspastoxyela pinguis Wang,… Click to show full abstract
Abstract Burmoxyela lii gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a male collected from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Pinguixyela gen. nov. is described for Syspastoxyela pinguis Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019, and Syspastoxyela simpla Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019 is transferred to the genus Striaexyela Zheng et al., 2019 as Striaexyela simpla (Wang, Shih, Ren & Gao, 2019), comb. nov., both from Kachin amber. This results in 5 genera and 6 species comprising the family thus far. A key to genera and species of Syspastoxyelidae is provided. The family is consideded as the most basal branch of Hymenoptera sister to Xyelidae. Biologically Syspastoxyelidae are hypothesized to develop within male cones of conifer trees and to feed on pollen grains both as adult and immature. Our discovery supports the hypothesis that the mid-Cretaceous Kachin biota was highly endemic.
               
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