A revision of the Old World species of Megischus Brullé, Stephanus Jurine and Pseudomegischus gen. nov., with a key to the genera of the family Stephanidae (Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea)

The genera of the family Stephanidae Leach, 1815 (Hymenoptera: Stephanoidea), are redefined and keyed. Three new genera and two subgenera are described and illustrated. Profoenatus gen. nov. (type species: Stephanus elliotti Ceballos, 1926, from Madagascar), with subgenus Comnatopus nov. (type species: Stephanus comma Morley, 1917, from the African continent), Afromegischus gen. nov. (type species: Stephanus pachylomerus Schletterer, 1889, from the African continent) and Pseudomegischus gen. nov. (type species: Stephanus sulcifrons Schletterer, 1889), with the nominate subgenus in the Indo-Australian region and subgenus Callomegischus nov. (type species: Stephanus tibiator Schletterer, 1889) in the Afrotropical region with an extension to the Arabian Peninsula. The Indo-Australian and Palaearctic species of the genus Megischus Brullé, 1846, are revised, 25 described species are recognised as valid, 22 new synonyms are established (plus 5 likely ones) and 17 new species are added. In addition the species of the genera Pseudomegischus gen. nov. and Stephanus Jurine (in Panzer), 1801, are keyed, including two new species: Pseudomegischus celebensis spec. nov. from Central Sulawesi, and Stephanus soror spec. nov. from West Malaysia. The following new synonyms are established: Stephanus brevicoxis Elliott, 1926, and S. linearis Elliott, 1927 with Megischus curtus (Elliott, 1926); Stephanus tinctipennis Kieffer, 1916, S. pilosus Elliott, 1921, S. rugosus Elliott, 1921, S. impressus Elliott, 1926, S. sulcatus Elliott, 1926, S. philippinensis Ceballos, 1926, S. similis Elliott, 1927, S. ruber Elliott, 1927, S. samaris Elliott, 1927, and S. glabricoxis Elliott, 1927, with Megischus insularis Smith, 1857; Stephanus aequalis Elliott, 1927, S. aequalis var. ruficauda Elliott, 1927, and S. petiolatus Elliott, 1927, with Megischus rubripes (Kieffer, 1916) comb. nov.; Stephanus ceylonicus Cameron, 1903, with Megischus nigricans Sichel, 1866; Stephanus hirsutus Elliott, 1927, and S. punctatus Elliott, 1927 with Megischus nigripes (Elliott, 1927); Stephanus panayanus Elliott, 1927, with Megischus reticulatus (Elliott, 1926); Megischus froggattii Cameron, 1911, and Stephanus rubripes Morley, 1917, with Megischus rufofemoratus (Szépligeti, 1902) comb. nov.; Stephanus hornianus Enderlein, 1912, with Megischus tortus (Morley, 1917); Stephanus quadraticollis Elliott, 1927, and Stephanus elegans Elliott, 1927, with Stephanus sulcifrons Schletterer, 1889. The following are new combinations: Megischus curtus (Elliott, 1926); M. lucidus (Szépligeti, 1902); M. rufofemoratus (Szépligeti, 1902); M. rufus (Elliott, 1927); M. tortus (Morley, 1917), M. rubripes (Kieffer, 1916), Parastephanellus spoliator (Smith, 1863), Pseudomegischus insidiator (Smith, 1863) and P. rugipleurae (Elliott, 1928). Megischus lucidus (Szépligeti, 1902), M. rubripes (Kieffer, 1916) and M. nigripes (Elliott, 1927) are re-instated names. Lectotypes are designated to enhance the future stability of the taxonomy of the following taxa: Stephanus aequalis Elliott, 1927; Stephanus tinctipennis var. atriceps Kieffer, 1916; Stephanus curtus Elliott, 1926; Megischus froggattii Cameron, 1911; Megischus insularis Smith, 1857; Megischus longicaudatus Costa, 1866; Stephanus lucidus Szépligeti, 1902; Stephanus petiolatus Elliott, 1927; Stephanus reticulatus Elliott, 1926; Stephanus ruber Elliott, 1927; Stephanus tinctipennis var. rubripes Kieffer, 1916; Megischus ruficeps de Saussure, 1901; Stephanus samaris Elliott, 1927; Stephanus similis Elliott, 1927; Stephanus sulcatus Elliott, 1926 and Stephanus variantius Elliott, 1926. Stenophasmidae Benoit, 1949, is a new junior synonym of the tribe Sphathiini Foerster, 1862, of the subfamily Doryctinae Foerster, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The genus Stenophasmus Smith, 1859, is re-instated as a valid genus near the genus Spathius Nees, 1818.