Oldest representatives of the Sphecidae: Trypoxylini in the Early Eocene French amber (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

The oldest representatives of the sphecid tribe Trypoxylini are described from the Early Eocene amber of France, i.e. Eopison menieri gen. n., sp. n. and Pison eocenicus sp. n. The fore wing venation of Eopison is more complete than those of any Recent Trypoxylini, suggesting that the reduction of the submarginal cells in Sphecidae has a complex history. Recent Trypoxylini are parasites on spiders. The present discoveries suggest that this type of trophic relations were already established during the Early Palaeogene and maybe the Late Cretaceous.