Methocha Latreille, 1804

Hanima, Raveendran K. P., Kumar, P. Girish, Binoy, C. & Sureshan, P. M., 2021, A taxonomic study of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4999 (3), pp. 258-272 : 259

Genus Methocha Latreille, 1804

Methocha Latreille (1804) : 179. Type species: Mutilla articulata Latreille (by monotypy).

Diagnosis. Members of the genus are characterized by the presence of setose eyes; prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax-propodeum forming three distinct, similar, and almost equal regions separated by marked constrictions; males are macropterous and females apterous. Characters specific to females are as follows: metatibia with one apical S-shaped and dorsally finely comb-like spur. Characters specific to males are as follows: fore wing with only two sub-marginal cells enclosed by tubular veins, vein Rs between true first and second sub-marginal cells reduced or absent, at least antero-apically; and metatibia with posterior (inner) apical spur distinctly S-shaped.

Distribution. Worldwide except Australia ( Kimsey 1991).

Remarks. The Indian fauna of Methocha comprises females of M. bicolor Cameron , M. litoralis Krombein and M. keralaensis Hanima & Girish Kumar and males of M. smithii Magretti , M. violaceipennis Cameron and M. litoralis Krombein. The new female of species M. krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy sp. nov. and two new males of species M. paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy sp. nov. and M. shyamagatra Hanima, Girish Kumar & Sureshan sp. nov. are described here.