A Molecular Phylogeny of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)

Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) are extremely diverse with more than 23,000 species described and over 500,000 species estimated to exist. This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily based on a molecular analysis of 18S and 28S ribosomal gene regions for 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 343 genera and 649 species. The 56 outgroups are comprised of Ceraphronoidea and most proctotrupomorph families, including Mymarommatidae. Data alignment and the impact of ambiguous regions are explored using a secondary structure analysis and automated (MAFFT) alignments of the core and pairing regions and regions of ambiguous alignment. Both likelihood and parsimony approaches are used to analyze the data. Overall there is no impact of alignment method, and few but substantial differences between likelihood and parsimony approaches. Monophyly of Chalcidoidea and a sister group relationship between Mymaridae and the remaining Chalcidoidea is strongly supported in all analyses. Either Mymarommatoidea or Diaprioidea are the sister group of Chalcidoidea depending on the analysis. Likelihood analyses place Rotoitidae as the sister group of the remaining Chalcidoidea after Mymaridae, whereas parsimony nests them within Chalcidoidea. Some traditional family groups are supported as monophyletic (Agaonidae, Eucharitidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Leucospidae, Mymaridae, Ormyridae, Signiphoridae, Tanaostigmatidae and Trichogrammatidae). Several other families are paraphyletic (Perilampidae) or polyphyletic (Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae, Tetracampidae and Torymidae). Evolutionary scenarios discussed for Chalcidoidea include the evolution of phytophagy, egg parasitism, sternorrhynchan parasitism, hypermetamorphic development and heteronomy

Description of a new genus, Chileana (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Torymidae), with four new species

International audienceChileana Jansta & Krizkova gen. nov. and four new species, C. cyanea Jansta & Krizkova sp. nov., C. maculata Jansta & Krizkova sp. nov., C. tricarinata Jansta & Krizkova sp. nov. and C. penai Jansta & Krizkova sp. nov., all from Chile, are described. The placement of this new genus within the tribe Monodontomerini is discussed and several characters suggest a close relationship to Zaglyptonotus

First records of Hypolycaena anara Larsen, 1986 from Cameroon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

The species Hypolycaena anara Larsen, 1986, is reported as a new record for Cameroon, together with a description of two new montane localities. We also describe two previously unpublished localities of the species in Nigeria. Potential contribution of the discovery of this hilly-savannah butterfly in the Gulf of Guinea Highlands to the recent debate on the local submontane habitat history is discussed

Systematics, biology and distribution of Microdontomerus iridis (Picard, 1930), comb. n. (Hymenoptera, Torymidae, Toryminae, Microdontomerini), a parasitoid of Mantodea oothecae

Here, we report on a unique parasitoid wasp species of Toryminae reared from oothecae of praying mantids in the Mediterranean region. Based on the first available large specimen series, we transfer the species to Microdontomerus iridis comb. n. (from Torymus), describe the so far unknown male, designate a neotype, expand the known geographical distribution by adding new records from Greece, Spain and Turkey, and provide the first images of live specimens of the species as well as information on its larval biology. We also transfer Microdontomerus carayoni comb. n. from Idiomacromerus

The evolutionary history of Chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera)

International audienceChalcidoidea is one of the most species-rich and morphologically diverse superfamily of Hymenoptera. Chalcid wasps encompass important ecological role by regulating insect populations in most ecosystems of the earth. However, the evolutionary history of the superfamily is still poorly understood. In our study, we used more than 1000 Ultra-Conserved Elements (UCEs) to reconstruct higher-level relationships within Chalcidoidea. We included members of all major lineages (701 species (692 ingroups + 9 outgroups), representing 23 families of chalcids, 93 subfamilies, 154 tribes and 582 genera). We will discuss, our main results and the difficulties we had to resolve the backbone of the chalcid radiation. Among the 23 families represented, 17 were recovered monophyletic (#75%); 6 poly- or paraphyletic (namely Chalcididae, Aphelinidae, Eulophidae, and Perilampidae; two families literally exploded respectively in 6 and 25 independent clades (Eupelmidae and Pteromalidae, the garbage can of the superfamily). Finally, we investigated the timing and patterns of diversification of chalcids wasps and propose a new time-scale for the evolution of the superfamily