Farther east: new Ghilarellinae wasps (Hymenoptera: Sepulcidae) from the Albian of the Republic of Korea extend the geographic range of the subfamily

Journal article

The study of the invertebrate fauna of the lower Albian Jinju Formation (Republic of Korea) has experienced renewed interest over the past decade, with numerous new extinct species described each year. Among the various insect orders, Hymenoptera are relatively abundant in the assemblage, with many taxa being discovered and formally described on a regular basis. Within this group, Symphyta are particularly well represented, with series of specimens of varying preservation quality being documented. These newly discovered specimens frequently represent new species belonging to genera already known from subcontemporaneous deposits in China, Mongolia, and Russia, supporting the idea of a relatively homogeneous Early Cretaceous Asian entomofauna. Here, we further corroborate this pattern by describing a new species of Ghilarellinae assigned to the Asian genus Ghilarella, Ghilarella jinjuensis sp. nov. In addition, we describe a second species of the previously monotypic genus Meiaghilarella, which was formerly known only from Spain. The new species, Meiaghilarella stanislawlemi sp. nov., substantially extends the geographic range of the genus during the Albian, from a previously restricted occurrence in Spain to a trans-Laurasian distribution.

Authors: Jouault, C; Kopylov, DS; Rasnitsyn, AP; Nam, G-S; Kwon, S-H

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Magnolia Press
• Journal: Journal of Insect Biodiversity
• Volume: 77
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 60-70
• Publication date: 2025-12-31
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-26
• DOI: 10.12976/jib/2025.77.1.10
• EISSN: 2147-7612
• ISSN: 2538-1318
• Language: English
• Keywords: Jinju Formation; Cretaceous; Korean Peninsula; new genus; new species