Neotropical ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae): interpreting taxonomy, phylogeny and divergent morphologies

Abstract

The Neotropical ‘Kapala Clade’ is a group of 13 described genera of ant parasitoids that includes some of the most morphologically bizarre members in the family Eucharitidae (Chalcidoidea). Across the Kapala Clade, various conspicuous morphological modifications – notably the long mesoscutellar spines – have led to the description of numerous genera. Monophyly of the clade has been supported in morphological and molecular analyses; however, relationships among genera within the clade are not easily resolved. Within this clade, there is one especially problematic taxon: Kapala Cameron is a common, diverse and easily recognizable genus, with species distributed across the Neotropical region north into the southern Nearctic, and one disjunct species found in the Afrotropical region. However, Kapala is defined by pleisiomorphic features – lacking the derived characters of the other Kapala Clade genera – with previous molecular evidence showing this genus to be paraphyletic. To evaluate relationships among Kapala Clade genera, we use a comprehensive sampling of 195 taxa and a molecular dataset of five gene regions. A morphological matrix of 52 characters was analysed both separately and combined with molecular data, which allowed rare genera to be incorporated into the phylogeny. Molecular results were at odds with the historic generic relationships, and the genus Kapala was rendered polyphyletic by two distinct clades of other kapaline genera. We find that there were bursts of morphological change clustered in the phylogeny; however, these are not correlated with higher rates of diversification. We discuss the timing of divergence events, analyse diversification patterns, and evaluate life‐history information within a phylogenetic context.

Liturgusa maya, Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 (Mantodea-Liturgusidae), a species of mantis frequent in cocoa crops in the Tumbes region, Peru

“…De acuerdo con las características observadas en los ejemplares que corresponden a la familia Torymidae se determinó que pertenecen al género Podagrión (Figura 6a), en lo que corresponde a los de la familia Eupelmidae estas son coincidentes con las del género Eupelmus (Figura 6b) y en el caso de los ejemplares de Eulophidae, estas concuerdan con las del género Horismenus Walker (1843) (Figura 6c). Cabe indicar que los parasitoides son un grupo de especies interesantes, ecológicamente importantes y taxonómicamente con muchos desafíos (Heraty et al, 2013;Munro, 2011), son especialmente diversos y dominantes en el Neotrópico (Murray & Heraty, 2019). Por otro lado, el género Horismenus es el más grande de la familia Eulophidae (Hansson, 2009), predominantemente neo tropicales (Kenyon et al, 2015) y que actualmente incluye más de 400 especies (Hansson, 2009;Kenyon et al, 2015); este género, tiene su principal distribución en América Tropical, pero también se conocen varias especies de las zonas templadas de América del Norte.…”

Distributional range expansion and first record of the parasitic wasp Horismenus liturgusae Hansson & Schoeninger, 2014 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) on Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 (Mantodea, Liturgusidae) from Ecuador

“…Parasitic wasps are a fascinating, ecologically important, diverse, and taxonomically challenging group of insects (Heraty et al 2013;Munro 2011) that are especially diverse and dominant in the Neotropics (Murray and Heraty 2019). The genus Horismenus Walker (1843) is a predominantly Neotropical parasitic wasp group (Kenyon et al 2015) which currently includes more than 400 species (Hansson 2009;Kenyon et al 2015).…”