†Chrysobythidae, a new family of chrysidoid wasps from Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hymenoptera, Aculeata)

The chrysidoid wasps are one of the main groups of aculeate parasitoid hymenopterans. Many of its constituent families are relatively well represented in the fossil record, being quite common in many Cenozoic amber deposits worldwide. Conversely, these wasps are scarcely represented in the Cretaceous period. Herein, we describe and illustrate three new genera and five new species from Cenomanian Burmese amber: dagger Aureobythus decoloratusgen. nov. et sp. nov., dagger A. punctatussp. nov., and dagger A. villosussp. nov., dagger Bethylochrysis clypeatagen. nov. et sp. nov., and dagger Chrysobythus areolatusgen. nov. et sp. nov. The new fossil taxa have a singular body morphology, especially concerning the forewing venation pattern, which does not fit in any of the known chrysidoid lineages. We therefore propose dagger Chrysobythidaefam. nov. to include these extinct inconspicuous lineages. Phylogenetic affinities with Chrysididae are discussed, based on the interpretations of the main characters of external morphology.