The first fossil representative of the wasp genus Dolichurus, with a review of fossil ampulicidae (Hymenoptera:Apoidea)

Recent Ampulicidae comprise six genera and nearly 200 species worldwide, the largest genera being the cosmopolitan Ampulex Jurine (132 species) and Dolichurus Latreille (48 species) (Bohart and Menke, 1976; Ohl, 2002). They are frequently called cockroach wasps in reference to their prey, and are morphologically quite different from the remainder of the more than 9,000 apoid wasp species. Ampulicidae exhibit a rather typical running-jumping behavior with short-distance flights while searching for cockroach prey on the ground or on tree trunks. This ground or tree bound mode of movement seems to imply that cockroach wasps are likely to be trapped in resin and to be eventually fossilized in amber. Indeed, most fossil ampulicids are recorded from amber deposits. However, fossil Ampulicidae are rarely found, and this poor fossil documentation probably reflects low population densities, which is still the case for recent species. Herein I describe a fossil ampulicid found in Middle Eocene Baltic amber. This specimen, a member of the genus Dolichurus, represents the first extinct species referable to a modern day genus in Ampulicidae. This study is dedicated to the memory of Howard E. Evans, whose life work includes some of the most fascinating and influential publications on aculeate wasps.