Arearia Seyrig, 1952

Rousse, Pascal, van Noort, Simon & Diller, E., 2013, Revision of the Afrotropical Phaeogenini (Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae), with description of a new genus and twelve new species, ZooKeys 354, pp. 1-85 : 14-15

Arearia Seyrig, 1952

Diagnosis.

Highly distinctive genus, characterized by sternauli deeply impressed and extending beyond mid–length of mesopleuron. Head polished and smoothly sculptured, dorsally expanded and flattened, somewhat triangular in profile; mandible bidentate, upper tooth 1.5 –2.0× longer than lower tooth; subocular groove present; clypeus transverse, its ventral margin regularly convex; flagellum of female regularly enlarged toward apex; occipital and hypostomal carinae joining at mandibular basis; epomia weak; notaulus weakly impressed; postpectal carina complete and strong; propodeum moderately elongate, regularly curved in profile view, propodeal carina tion well developed to about absent; fore wing with areolet open, hind wing with 1/Cu& cu–a straight and distal abscissa of Cu1 absent; tarsal claws simple; gastrocoelus and thyridium indistinct; ovipositor distinctly extending beyond apex of metasoma.

Because of its strong and long sternaulus, this genus was first placed in the Cryptinae by Seyrig (1952), and subsequently moved to the Ichneumoninae by Townes (1971).

Species richness and distribution.

The genus was previously only known from Madagascar, with a single species. Here we report a new species from South Africa.