Taxonomic additions to the genus †Megacoxa Brazidec et al., 2024 (Hymenoptera: Megalyridae) from Kachin amber

The extinct genus Megacoxa was recently described from Kachin amber and currently includes six formally recognized species. Despite the recent addition of three new species, additional, yet-undescribed specimens continue to be discovered in both institutional and private collections, awaiting formal description. The vast quantity of material extracted from the Kachin biota provides a practically inexhaustible source of new species. As with many insect families preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, the diversity and number of megalyrid wasps remain significantly underestimated. In this study, I illustrate a new specimen of Megacoxa chandrahrasa Brazidec et al., 2024. I also describe a new species, Megacoxa miscea sp. nov., which exhibits a combination of characters found in M. janzeni and M. synchrotron. Furthermore, I present an updated identification key for Megacoxa species, incorporating this newly described species.

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Publication Details

Journal
Mesozoic
Published
2025-03-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.11646/mesozoic.2.1.5
Primary Topic
Fossil Insects in Amber
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Taxonomic additions to the genus †Megacoxa Brazidec et al., 2024 (Hymenoptera: Megalyridae) from Kachin amber

Corentin Jouault
Mesozoic
Fossil Insects in Amber
article

Taxonomic additions to the genus †Megacoxa Brazidec et al., 2024 (Hymenoptera: Megalyridae) from Kachin amber

Corentin Jouault
article en

Abstract

The extinct genus Megacoxa was recently described from Kachin amber and currently includes six formally recognized species. Despite the recent addition of three new species, additional, yet-undescribed specimens continue to be discovered in both institutional and private collections, awaiting formal description. The vast quantity of material extracted from the Kachin biota provides a practically inexhaustible source of new species. As with many insect families preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, the diversity and number of megalyrid wasps remain significantly underestimated. In this study, I illustrate a new specimen of Megacoxa chandrahrasa Brazidec et al., 2024. I also describe a new species, Megacoxa miscea sp. nov., which exhibits a combination of characters found in M. janzeni and M. synchrotron. Furthermore, I present an updated identification key for Megacoxa species, incorporating this newly described species.

MesozoicVol. 2(1)
Museum of the History of Science (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Fossil Insects in Amber
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