Macho Megaspilidae: How males hold the key to revising Conostigmus spp. (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae) of the Nearctic

An oral presentation that will be given at the 2018 ESA, ESC and ESBC Joint Annual Meeting (Entomology 2018) on Monday, November 12th, 2018.

Abstract:

Though Ceraphronoidea are some of the most commonly collected parasitoid wasps in the world, the taxonomic state of several megaspilid genera, including Conostigmus and Megaspilus, is uncertain. We revise Nearctic species of Conostigmus, including redescriptions of known species and the description of new taxa. Our species hypotheses are based on morphological data, such as male genitalia differences highlighted with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), as well as molecular data including DNA barcoding. We also provide insight into the functions of the synsternal setiferous patches and synsternal/syntergal translucent patches, which are found on the metasomata of all Ceraphronoidea but differ in location between subfamilies. Both molecular and morphological data are used to predict the phylogenic relationship between Megaspilus and Conostigmus, shedding light on their evolution within the greater context of Megaspilinae.