Baeomorpha


Baeomorpha is an extinct genus of rotoitid parasitic wasp, known from the Late Cretaceous ~ of Laurasia. The type species, B. dubitata was named by Charles Thomas Brues for a specimen found in 72 million year old Canadian Amber. The vast majority of species are known from the Russian Taimyr amber, of upper Santonian age but two species are known from the upper Campanian Canadian amber, while one species is known from the lower Cenomanian Burmese amber.

Taxonomy

In the initial 1937 description, Brues placed the genus within the Scelionidae. Yoshimoto in 1975 placed it within Tetracampidae In 2017 during a comprehensive review of the genus, it was placed in Rotoitidae, and otherwise relict group only known from two extant genera in New Zealand and Chile. The study also placed two species described by Yoshimoto, B. distincta and B. elongata as synonyms of B. ovatata. In 2019 a new species B. liorum was described from the Burmese amber, significantly increasing the latitudinal and stratigraphic range of the taxon.