Aptenoperissus Temporal range:
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Aptenoperissus burmanicus holotype | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Suborder: | Apocrita |
Superfamily: | Stephanoidea |
Family: | †Aptenoperissidae Rasnitsyn et al., 2017 |
Genus: | †Aptenoperissus Rasnitsyn et al., 2017 |
Type species | |
†Aptenoperissus burmanicus Rasnitsyn et al., 2017
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Species | |
†A. burmanicus |
Aptenoperissus is a genus of extinct wasp with eight described species, placed into the monotypic family Aptenoperissidae. The type species Aptenoperissus burmanicus resembles a mix between a grasshopper, an ant, and a wasp. It was described by a group of researchers from Oregon State University in a paper released online in October 2016.[1] The piece of 100 million year old Burmese amber that it was preserved in was found in the Hukawng Valley of Myanmar in Southern Asia. A new family, Aptenoperissidae, was described to accommodate this insect. Species of Aptenoperissus were wingless, with a strong stinger. The creature had long legs making it capable of jumping higher than most insects.[2] Subsequently additional species were described from the Myanmar amber: A. amabilis, A. delicatus, A. formosus,[3] A. etius, A. magnifemoris, A. pusillus[4] and A. zonalis.[5] Initially placed in Ceraphronoidea,[2] later studies placed it in Stephanoidea.[3]