Molecular phylogeny of the apocritan wasps: the Prototrupomorpha and Evaniomorpha

Abstract

<jats:p>Phylogenetic relationships among the apocritan wasps were investigated using comparative sequence data from the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. The gene fragment contained three length polymorphic regions. Relationships that were not sensitive to the alignment procedure are discussed, but should be considered as preliminary only. Maximum parsimony analysis recovered the Evaniomorpha (<jats:italic>sensu</jats:italic> Rasnitsyn, 1988) as a monophyletic group, with the pattern of relationships Ceraphronoidea + (Evanioidea + [Megalyroidea + Trigonalyoidea]). The Proctotrupomorpha (<jats:italic>sensu</jats:italic> Rasnitsyn, 1988) were also recovered as a monophyletic group, while the Proctotrupoidea were recovered as paraphyletic. The Proctotrupoidea were only monophyletic if the Platygastroidea and Chalcidoidea were included (i.e. Proctotrupomorpha). Relationships of the Proctotrupomorpha that were supported by this analysis included Diapriidae + (Platygastroidea + Chalcidoidea), and the Vanhorniidae falling inside the Proctotrupidae. However, resolution of other relationships within the Proctotrupomorpha was less reliable, as indicated by low decay indices and low bootstrap proportions. Similarly, the placement of the Cynipoidea relative to the other apocritan lineages was also not recovered confidently.</jats:p>