Genus Megischus Brullé, 1846

Megischus Brullé, 1846: 537 . Type species (designated by Viereck, 1914): M. annulator Brullé, 1846 .

Megiseleus Cameron, 1902: 32. Lapsus calami.

Bothriocerus Sichel, 1861: 759 . Type species (by monotypy): Bothriocerus europaeus Sichel, 1861 (= Stephanus anomalipes Foerster, 1855, synonymy according to Madl, 1991).

Diagnosis. Largest known stephanids ranging up to 35 mm (excluding ovipositor); length of fore wing 5–20 (but usually 10–18) mm; rounded temple without conspicuous ivory-white streak behind eye; neck mostly elongate; pronotal folds distinct; fore wing with 2-SR and 2-SR+M present, vein r of fore wing straight, in most cases distinctly removed from apex of pterostigma; vein 2-SR of fore wing medium-sized and straight; vein 1-SR of fore wing differentiated because of presence of vein 1-SR+M; bidentate hind femora; hind tibia distinctly narrowed basally and at most basal half ventrally carinate; outer side of hind tibia without oblique striae or rugulosity; ovipositor sheath with ivory subapical band.

Distribution. Mainly Indo-Australian and Neotropical, with scattered reports from subtropical Oriental, Southern Nearctic and Central and Southern Europe (van Achterberg 2002).

Host. Probably attacking beetle larvae infesting dead trees (van Achterberg 2002).

Notes. The genus comprises more than 50 species worldwide (New World: 10 spp.; West Palaearctic: 1 species; Australian continent: 2 species (Aguiar 2001), Oriental, Wallacea and Papua: 39 species (van Achterberg 2002)). The genus is represented by a single species viz., M. alveolifer van Achterberg from India. A new species viz., M. ranjithi Binoy, Santhosh & Girish Kumar sp. nov. is described here with illustrations and is incorporated into a key to Indian species.