Systematics of the Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): A molecular phylogeny of the family and worldwide revision of Ufens Girault

Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) are a group of minute egg parasitoids is known from a broad range of host insects. The first molecular phylogeny of the family is presented. Analyses utilized rRNA regions 18S and 28S-D2 and -D3, all aligned according to secondary structure models, for 121 taxa in 52 genera. Parsimony analysis was performed with both a complete and a reduced data set, in which ambiguous regions were eliminated. The reduced data set produced a less-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses were also performed with the complete data set. Although our conclusions are partially congruent with the accepted hypothesis of trichogrammatid relationships based on male genitalia, none of the currently adopted assemblages were recovered as monophyletic. Nevertheless, structure of male genitalia does correspond with relative position in the molecular hypotheses, as the greatest genitalic simplification and fusion characterizes the most derived taxa in molecular hypotheses. A new classification of the Trichogrammatidae is proposed, including one tribe, Trichogrammatini, within the subfamily Trichogrammatinae, and three tribes, Paracentrobiini, Chaetostrichini, and Oligositini, within Oligositinae. All tribes are more narrowly defined than previously and many genera are treated as incertae sedis within each subfamily. Host associations throughout the family are varied.; The first worldwide revision of the cosmopolitan Ufens Girault 1911 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae: Oligositinae) is presented. Forty-three species are recognized. Included in the revision are five species formerly in Ufensia, herein synonymized, and 32 new species. In addition, nine species are removed from Ufens. Eight are transferred to Mirufens, and the ninth is placed in a genus near Zagella. Thirteen nominal species are treated as nomina dubia. A worldwide key to species is provided. Phylogenetic hypotheses are generated utilizing both molecular and morphological data in parsimony analysis. Molecular data are limited to twelve of the recognized species. Thirty-seven morphological characters were utilized, both alone and in tandem with molecular data. Due to greater confidence in molecular results and overall lack of resolution, the results of the reduced molecular plus morphological analysis were utilized as a backbone for analyzing the complete morphological data set. Overall, results are inconclusive, with few relationships consistently recovered.