Necrobythus Engel 2013

† Necrobythus Engel et al., 2013

The genus was described from an inclusion in Campanian Canadian amber, containing only the type species, † Necrobythus pulcher Engel et al., 2013. Its general morphology and reduced forewing venation are indicative of an affinity with Chrysididae. The shape of the head and pronotum, fusiform profemur, bidentate claws, and the short propodeum are the main features indicating this positioning. The original placement in Scolebythidae might have been influenced by the moderately large basisternum, a feature also observed in basal Chrysididae. Therefore, we tentatively maintain it as incertae sedis within Chrysididae based on the characters mentioned above, however, we do not discard that further data on † Necrobythus may reveal that this taxon does not even belong in Aculeata.