Platylabini Berthoumieu 1904

Dal Pos, Davide, Heilman, Victoria & Welter-Schultes, Francisco, 2022, Platylabini (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) of the south-eastern United States: new distributional data, taxonomic notes, illustrated keys, and an annotated catalogue of the genera and species, Journal of Natural History 56, pp. 1869-1938 : 1873

Tribe Platylabini Berthoumieu 1904 ( Ichneumonidae , Ichneumoninae)

Traditionally, the diagnostic traits used to identify the tribe Platylabini have been the following: (1) a convex clypeus; (2) first metasomal tergite broader than high with postpetiole dorsally strongly flattened; and (3) amblypygous metasoma in females ( Heinrich 1961, 1967a, 1967b; Townes et al. 1961; Tereshkin 2009). However, as extensively discussed by Santos et al. (2021, supplement S8) the tribe, as above defined, excludes at least two genera well nested within the tribe: Probolus Wesmael, 1845 , and Cotiheresiarches Telenga, 1929 . The authors concluded that, for the moment, it is impractical to provide a succinct diagnosis of the tribe and, with a couple of exceptions ( Eurylabus Wesmael, 1845 and Levansa Townes, 1961 ), all the Ichneumoninae with a flattened petiole are surely Platylabini .

Even though more in-depth morphological analyses will be necessary to better delineate the diagnosis of the tribe, we also believe that a practical key to the tribes and to the Platylabini genera can facilitate identification.