Aethecerus Wesmael, 1845

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 : 78-81

Aethecerus Wesmael, 1845

Diagnosis.

Genus mainly characterized by the the hypostomal carina strongly raised above mandible base, and the more or less distinctly bell–shaped scape (especially in male). Gena distincly excavate near mandible base in male, slightly excised in female; mandible bidentate, upper tooth much longer than lower tooth; clypeus distinct from face, with a mid–ventral concavity, ventral margin impressed and regularly convex; face quadrate to strongly transverse; face and clypeus very short in female; occipital carina ventrally abruptly curved inwards, joining hypostomal carina above mandible base, hypostomal carina strongly raised above mandible; scape more or less bell–shaped: dorso -apically raised and basally widened, more strongly in male; antenna filiform, not enlarged in either sex, flagellomere 1as long as or longer than flagellomere 2; postpectal carina interrupted in front of mid coxa; fore wing with areolet closed, hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu1 connected to Cu& cu–a; apex of female hind coxa simple or with a short carina; tarsal claws simple; thyridium and gastrocoelus distinct, moderate ( Perkins 1959; Valemberg 1988).

Species richness and distribution.

Aethecerus is presumed to be purely Holarctic, with 27 species reported from North America, Eurasia, Maghreb, Middle East and Japan.