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Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological variation point to taxonomic problems among four genera of parasitoid doryctine wasps (Hymenoptera : Braconidae)

Marco Gebiola A B F , Antonio P. Garonna C , Umberto Bernardo A and Sergey A. Belokobylskij D E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CNR – Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Via Università, 133, Portici 80055, NA, Italy.

B Department of Entomology, 410 Forbes Building, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 86721, USA.

C Laboratorio di Entomologia ‘E. Tremblay’, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy.

D Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, 199034, Russia.

E Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, 00–679, Poland.

F Corresponding author. Email: marco.gebiola@gmail.com

Invertebrate Systematics 29(6) 591-609 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS14064
Submitted: 18 December 2014  Accepted: 27 September 2015   Published: 22 December 2015

Abstract

Doryctinae (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) is a large and diverse subfamily of parasitic wasps that has received much attention recently, with new species and genera described and phylogenies based on morphological and/or molecular data that have improved higher-level classification and species delimitation. However, the status of several genera is still unresolved, if not controversial. Here we focus on two related groups of such genera, Dendrosoter Wesmael–Caenopachys Foerster and Ecphylus Foerster–Sycosoter Picard & Lichtenstein. We integrated morphological and molecular (COI and 28S–D2 genes) evidence to highlight, by phylogenetic analyses (maximum likelihood and Bayesian) and a posteriori morphological examination, previously overlooked variation, which is here illustrated and discussed. Monophyly of Dendrosoter and Caenopachys and the presence of synapomorphic morphological characters support synonymy of Caenopachys under Dendrosoter. Low genetic differentiation and high variability for putatively diagnostic morphological characters found in both C. hartigii (Ratzeburg) and C. caenopachoides (Ruschka) supports synonymy of D. caenopachoides under D. hartigii, syn. nov. Morphological and molecular evidence together also indicate independent generic status for Sycosoter, stat. rev., which is here resurrected. This work represents a further advancement in the framework of the ongoing effort to improve systematics and classification of the subfamily Doryctinae.

Additional keywords: 28S–D2, Caenopachys, COI, Dendrosoter, Doryctinae, Ecphylus, integrative taxonomy, Sycosoter.


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