Megarhyssa Ashmead, 1900

Hopkins, Tapani, Roininen, Heikki, Noort, Simon van, Broad, Gavin R., Kaunisto, Kari & Saeaeksjaervi, Ilari E., 2019, Extensive sampling and thorough taxonomic assessment of Afrotropical Rhyssinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) reveals two new species and demonstrates the limitations of previous sampling efforts, ZooKeys 878, pp. 33-71 : 33

Genus Megarhyssa Ashmead, 1900

Thalessa Holmgren, 1859: 122.

Megalorhyssa Shulz, 1906: 115.

Eurhyssa Derksen, 1941: 721.

Diagnosis.

The genus Megarhyssa is easily recognised in the Afrotropical region by the presence of the fore wing areolet (vein 3rs-m is present), whereas vein 3rs-m is missing in Epirhyssa , the only other rhyssine genus found in the Afrotropical region.

Megarhyssa can be distinguished from other rhyssine genera by the presence of an areolet (cf. Triancyra ), the lack of an anterior glymma on tergite 1 (cf. Rhyssa ), the upper tooth not being subdivided (cf. Myllenyxis ), tergite 1 having anterior lateral carinae (cf. Cyrtorhyssa which lacks carinae), the occipital carina joining the hypostomal carina some distance from the mandible base (cf. Lytarmes ) and tergites 3-6 not being transversely, non-uniformly aciculate (cf. Rhyssella ) ( Baltazar 1964, Porter 2001). The genus includes the largest species of Rhyssinae.

Distribution.

Afrotropical region: Democratic Republic of Congo.

The genus is cosmopolitan with the largest number of species found in the Oriental and Palaearctic regions.