New fossil Xyelidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeast China

Three new species, Brachyoxyela conjunctiva sp. nov., Brachyoxyela leei sp. nov. and Brachyoxyela elliptica sp. nov., in the tribe Macroxyelini, subfamily Macroxyelinae of the family Xyelidae, are described and illustrated. All type specimens were collected from the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian) Yixian Formation. Brachyoxyela conjunctiva sp. nov. and Brachyoxyela leei sp. nov. were from Huangbanjigou, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China, and Brachyoxyela elliptica sp. nov. from Sandaogou, Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China. These specimens are assigned to a previously erected genus Brachyoxyela Gao, Zhao and Ren, 2011 based on the characters: vein Sc joining R distad origin of Rs and antenna with thread (terminal part of flagellum distal to the enlarged first flagellomere) longer than the first flagellomere. A key to species of Brachyoxyela is provided.