Meggoleus Townes, 1971

Khalaim, Andrey I. & Broad, Gavin R., 2012, Tersilochinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Costa Rica, part 1. Genera Allophrys Förster, Barycnemis Förster and Meggoleus To w ne s, Zootaxa 3185, pp. 36-52 : 48

Meggoleus Townes, 1971

Type species: Meggoleus spirator Townes, 1971 .

The genus is immediately recognized by the huge propodeal spiracles ( Fig. 19, 20 ), a character almost unique in ichneumonids (similar spiracles are otherwise only found in a few south-east Asian species of Plectiscus Gravenhorst (Orthocentrinae) and Syzeuctus Förster (Banchinae) ; Broad pers. obs.). It seems to be most closely related to Allophrys as both genera are structurally rather similar and possess a strongly reclivous vein cu 1& cu-a of the hind wing (subvertical to moderately reclivous in other tersilochines).

Meggoleus is a small tropical genus with one widely distributed Neotropical species, extending from Guatemala to Southern Brazil, and one species in Equatorial Africa ( Khalaim 2007). The former species, M. spirator , is found in Costa Rica. Hosts are unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 21. Meggoleus spirator, Ƥ: 17 — head with antenna, left; 18 — flagellomeres 3 to 6 of antenna, left; 19 — mesosoma and first metasomal segment, left; 20 — propodeum, dorsal; 21 — apex of metasoma with ovipositor, left.