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The genus Peucobius Townes previously comprised two species occurring in the Nearctic region: P. fulvus Townes and P. piceus Townes. In the current study we revise this genus, transfer it to the subfamily Sisyrostolinae (comb. nov.), and describe two new species – P. bennetti Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, sp. nov. from Central Mexico and P. shimizui Khalaim, sp. nov. from Japan. The genus Lygurus Kasparyan occurring in Russian Far East and Taiwan is morphologically similar to Peucobius; characters for distinguishing these two genera are provided for the first time with the use of colour photographs. Identification keys to four world species of Peucobius, and to species of Lygurus and Peucobius occurring in the East Palaearctic region, are provided. We suggest that species of Peucobius are associated with xyelid sawflies (Xyelidae) whose larvae feed in staminate pine cones.

In this study, we describe two remarkable species, Ctenochira arkadyi Kasparyan, sp. nov. (Tryphoninae) from southern Siberia (Russia), and Probles arkadyi Khalaim, sp. nov. (Tersilochinae) from Japan. These two species are named in honour of our colleague and friend, an expert in Aculeata (Hymenoptera), Russian entomologist, Prof. Arkady Lelej, in honour of his 75th birthday. The recently described European species, Ctenochira magnusi Haraldseide, 2018, is discovered from the Russian Far East; the male of C. magnusi is recorded and described for the first time.

Five new species of Tersilochinae (Ichneumonidae) are described from Mexico: Meggoleus hidalgoensis sp. nov., M. whartoni Khalaim, sp. nov., Phradis belovi Khalaim, sp. nov., Stethantyx covida sp. nov., and St. oaxacana sp. nov. Meggoleus whartoni Khalaim, sp. nov. is also recorded from Panama, and St. covida sp. nov. from Guatemala. The species recently described from Mexico Probles contrerasi Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino is transferred to the genus Gelanes Horstmann, comb. nov. A partial key to the species of Meggoleus with small propodeal spiracles and a key to Mexican species of Phradis are provided.

The parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae is arguably one of the groups for which current knowledge lags most strongly behind their enormous diversity. In a five-day meeting in Basel (Switzerland) in June 2019, 22 researchers from 14 countries met to discuss the most important issues in ichneumonid research, including increasing the speed of species discovery, resolving higher-level relationships, and studying the radiation of these parasitoids onto various host groups through time. All agreed that it is time to advertise ichneumonid research more broadly in the scientific community and thereby attract young talents to this group for which specialists are sorely lacking. In order to popularize the group, we here suggest a new name for the family, “Darwin wasps”, to reflect the pivotal role they played in convincing Charles Darwin that not all of creation could have been created by a benevolent god. We hope that the name catches on, and that Darwin wasps start buzzing more loudly across all disciplines of biology.

In this paper, one species of Diaparsis Förster (D. splendens Horstmann) is recorded and two species of Phradis Förster (P. bufalosus sp. n. and P. nanacamilpus sp. n.) are described from Mexico. Both genera are extremely rare in the Mexican fauna, being represented by single specimens from a large amount of ichneumonids examined in many Mexican and USA collections. A partial identification key to North American species of Phradis is given. Colour photographs and morphological remarks on D. splendens are provided.

Two species of ichneumon wasps (Ichneumonidae), Gelanes horstmanni Khalaim, sp. n. (Tersilochinae) and Idiogramma elbakyanae Khalaim sp. n. (Tryphoninae), are described from the pine forest at 2800–2900 m from the State of Tlaxcala in Central Mexico; a third species, I. comstockii (Ashmead), is found to occur in the State of Nuevo León in Northeast Mexico. The genera Gelanes Horstmann and Idiogramma Förster are associated with xyelid sawflies (Xyelidae), and both, as well as the tryphonine tribe Idiogrammatini, are recorded from Mexico for the first time. An identification key to the two Idiogramma species occurring in Mexico is provided.

A new species, Stethantyx durrelli sp. n. from Brazil, is described and illustrated. The recently described genus Megalochus Khalaim & Broad is synonymized with Stethantyx. The new species is very similar to S. grandis (Khalaim & Broad), comb. n. but differs by the first metasomal segment being trapeziform in cross-section, the presence of a distinct glymma, and the metapleuron and dorsolateral area of the propodeum being densely punctate, without coarse irregular rugae. These two species are the largest and most conspicuous representatives of the subfamily Tersilochinae. A partial key to species of Stethantyx is provided. Taxonomy and generic limits of Stethantyx are discussed.

Labilochus brevipalpis gen. & sp. n. from northeast Mexico is described and illustrated. The new genus is distinguished from all other Tersilochinae taxa by its extremely long glossa and galeae in combination with short maxillary and labial palps, and both palps with reduced number of palpomeres. The genus also possesses a remarkable head, which is almost straight behind the eyes in dorsal view and with the occipital carina lacking laterally.

Twenty one species and subspecies of Exetastes Grav. are recorded from Mexico. Exetastes arteagus sp. nov., E. gauldi sp. nov. and E. lascivus sp. nov. are described as new. Exetastes pasculus Gauld et Ugalde is recorded for the first time for Mexico. New data on distribution in Mexico and a key to the Mexican species of Exetastes are provided. The known Mexican fauna is closer to the Nearctic fauna than to the Costa Rican fauna: 13 out of 21 Mexican species and subspecies (62%) also occur in the USA and Canada, 4 species (19%) also occur in Costa Rica, and 3 species and 1 subspecies (19%) are known from Mexico only. The most abundant species of the genus in Mexico is E. tarsalis.Se registran 21 especies y subespecies de Exetastes Grav. para México. Se describen E. arteagus sp. nov., E. gauldi sp. nov. y E. lascivus sp. nov. Exetastes pasculus Gauld et Ugalde es registrada para México por primera vez. Se aportan datos nuevos sobre la distribución de Exetastes en México y una clave para identificar las especies. La fauna mexicana es más cercana a la neártica que a la de Costa Rica: 13 de las especies y subespecies mexicanas (62% del total) también se encuentran en Estados Unidos y Canadá, 4 especies (19%) ocurren en Costa Rica, y 3 especies y 1 subespecie (19%) se conocen solamente de México. Exetastes tarsalis es la especie más abundante del género en México.

European species of the genus Phradis Förster, 1869 are reviewed. A new species from Spain, Phradis mediterraneus sp. n., is described and illustrated. A key to all 24 European species and data on distribution and biology of these species are provided.