The Neotropical species of Atractodes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), I: the A. propodeator and A. altoandinus species-groups

The Neotropical species of the cryptine genus Atractodes are studied, and four species-groups are proposed. In this paper, A. altoandinus and A. propodeator species-groups are diagnosed. The former species-group occurs from southern Mexico to Brazil and includes some of the largest Atractodes species ever found, all possessing a strongly sloped propodeum; the latter species-group is only known from the Chilean Andes and includes one of the smallest species of Atractodes, characterised by a very short and curved tergite I and short first flagellomere. Four species, A. altoandinus, A. propodeator, A. reijoi and A. verapacensis are described as new. An illustrated identification key to all species-groups and to species of the A. propodeator species-group is provided.This study has been completed during a research visit made by the first author to ZMUT (University of Turku, Turku, Finland) supported by a grant from the University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain (Programa Propi del Vicerectorat d'Investigació, Desenvolupament i Innovació per al Foment de la I+D+I—2014; Ref. ACIE14–03)