Genus Sactogaster Förster, 1856

(junior synonym of Synopeas Förster, 1856)

Figs 18–19

Sactogaster Förster, 1856: 108, 113, 114. Type species Epimeces ventralis Westwood, 1833 by subsequent designation by Ashmead 1893: 284. Junior synonym of Synopeas Förster 1856 – Kozlov 1978: 657.

Remarks

Sactogaster was clearly a favorite of Förster, as he writes about it quite effusively in Hymenopterologische Studien (1856). It is also the only genus in the platygastrid section of this publication to include a key to species and new species names ( Sa. curvicauda, Sa. longicauda, Sa. pisi, and Sa. subaequalis Förster, 1856). Förster defined Sactogaster by the shape of the female metasoma, which has T2 ventrally expanded. Sactogaster was synonymized with Synopeas by Kozlov (1978) and Buhl (1997) synonymized Sa. longicauda and Sa. pisi with Sa. curvicauda . Förster’s species of Sactogaster are represented by type material in the NHMW, all of which are in relatively good condition.

Ashmead (1893) designated the type species of Sactogaster as Epimeces ventralis Westwood, 1833 . This designation takes precedence over the designation of Sa. pisi by Kieffer (1926), which was mistakenly replicated by Vlug (1995).