A new species of Baeomorpha (Hymenoptera, Rotoitidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

A fossil species from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Baeomorpha liorum Huber, Shih & Ren, sp. nov. (Rotoitidae: Hymenoptera), is described and illustrated. Its relationship to other extinct and extant taxa of Rotoitidae is discussed. The location of the amber deposits in which this species was found is well south of the "Baeomorpha Realm" proposed by previous authors who suggested that the origin and diversification of Rotoitidae occurred in North Laurasia. Based on the Burmese specimens, we suggest instead that the most parsimonious explanation for the past and present distribution of the family is to assume that Rotoitidae is an ancient lineage of Chalcidoidea that was originally widespread in suitable habitats across both Laurasia and Gondwana and later became extinct everywhere except Chile and New Zealand where the two extant genera occur.