Moluccarches, Riedel, 2023

Riedel, Matthias, 2023, Contribution to the knowledge of the Ichneumoninae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Maritime Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 5363 (1), pp. 1-94 : 73

Moluccarches nov. gen.

Type species. Moluccarches albimaculatus nov. sp.

Diagnosis. Small, body length 7.0 mm.

Head. Flagellum long, slightly lanceolate; widest flagellomeres square. Temple rather short, slightly narrowed behind eye. Clypeus large, almost flat; apical margin sharp, slightly bulging apically, rounded medially (fig. 32A). Mandible sickle-shaped, ventral tooth absent. Genal carina reaching mandibular base.

Mesosoma (figs 32C, 32D). Rather stout, mesoscutum 1.1 × wider than long. Epomia very long. Notaulus shortly impressed at frontal margin of mesoscutum. Epicnemial carina low, dorsally reaching subtegular ridge. Sternaulus impressed in frontal half of mesopleuron. Juxtacoxal carina present. Scutellum distinctly but roundly elevated, wider than long, with complete and slightly lamelliform lateral carina. Propodeum (fig. 32D) completely carinated; without distinct apophysis. Spiracle oval. Area basalis without median tubercle. Area superomedia hexagonal; anterior transverse carina reaching at 7/10 of its length. Hind coxa without scopa. Hind femur 3.2-3.4 × longer than wide. Claws simple. Areolet pentagonal; frontal distance between veins 2rs-m and 3rs-m 2.0 × their width. Vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal.

Metasoma (fig. 32E). Oxypygous, stout. Petiole as wide as high. Postpetiole distinctly widened; without latero-medial carina, median field not separated. Gastrocoelus impressed, ± smooth. Thyridium small, transverse. Ovipositor sheath long and slender.

Colour. Black with extensive ivory coloration.

♂ and hosts unknown.

Remarks. Due to the sickle-shaped and unidentate mandible, this new genus resembles Celebarches Heinrich and runs to that genus in the keys of Heinrich (1934) and Townes et al. (1961). It differs by the stout habitus, oxypygous metasoma with thin and long ovipositor sheath, the epicnemial carina which reaches the subtegular ridge dorsally, and a different carination of the propodeum.