A taxonomic study of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India with description of three new species

Abstract

The genus Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) from India was studied, resulting in the description of a new species based on females, Methocha krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy sp. nov., and two new species based on males, M. paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy sp. nov., and M. shyamagatra Hanima, Girish Kumar & Sureshan sp. nov. from India. A key to species of Methocha occurring in the Indian subcontinent is provided.

First report of Methocha ubiquita Krombein (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India

“…Methocha ubiquita Krombein has known as the most widely distributed species in the genus Methocha in Sri Lanka, where it occurs in both the Dry Zone and the Wet Zone and at altitudes from 50 to about 2000 ft (Krombein, 1982). Until now, 39 species of Methocha are recorded from Oriental region, of which eight species occurred in India (Agnoli, 2021;Hanima et al, 2021). Distribution of all species from India are restricted to the Oriental region.…”

“…The subfamily Methochinae includes two genera, Methocha Latreille, 1804 and Karlissa Krombein, 1979. The genus Methocha includes 93 species, known worldwide except for the Australian region (Hanima et al, 2021). Of these, 14 are known from the Indian subcontinent and six are exclusively from India, six from Sri Lanka, one from both India and Sri Lanka and another one from both India and Myanmar (Hanima et al, 2019;.…”

“…Of these, 14 are known from the Indian subcontinent and six are exclusively from India, six from Sri Lanka, one from both India and Sri Lanka and another one from both India and Myanmar (Hanima et al, 2019;. Eight species are known occurring in India, Methocha bicolor (Cameron, 1897), M. keralaensis Hanima & Girish Kumar, 2019, M. krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, 2021, M. litoralis Krombein, 1982, M. paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, 2021, M. shyamagatra Hanima, Girish Kumar & Sureshan, 2021, M. smithii (Magretti, 1892 and M. violaceipennis (Cameron, 1899) (Hanima et al, 2021). Members of the genus Methocha are slender aculeate wasps with females that are often mistaken with ants.…”

A new species of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Methochinae) from China, with a key to the Chinese species

“…The subfamily Methochinae is a relatively small taxon of parasitic aculeate wasps containing two genera Methocha Latreille 1804 and Karlissa Krombein 1979. The genus Methocha includes 89 species and three subspecies worldwide except for the Australian Region (Lin 1966;Krombein 1982;Terayama and Mita 2015;Mita 2018, 2021;Terayama 2019;Hanima et al 2021;Agnoli 2022), among which 45 species are distributed in the Oriental Region, ten species and two subspecies in the Palearctic Region, 25 species and one subspecies in the Ethiopian Region, five species in the Nearctic Region, and four in the Neotropical Region. Members of the genus Methocha show distinct sexual dimorphism with wingless ant-like females and winged males.…”