Phylogenetics and classification of Chalcidoidea and Mymarommatoidea - a review of current concepts (Hymenoptera, Apocrita)

Classification and morphological and molecular evidence supporting relation ships of Mymarommatidae (Mymarommatoidea) and the 20 families of Chalcidoid ea are reviewed. Five autapomorphies support monophyly of Mymarommatoidea, at least two autapomorphies support monophyly of Chalcidoidea, and three sy napomorphies support a sister-group relationship between Mymarommatoidea an d Chalcidoidea. Mymaridae are indicated as the likely sister group of all o ther Chalcidoidea by: two features of the ovipositor, the unique structure of a muscle between the mesofurca and axillary lever, and sequence data fro m the 28s rDNA gene. Structure of the upper valvulae of the ovipositor coul d indicate Rotoitidae as the second-most basal clade of Chalcidoidea. Chalc ididae, Elasmidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Eurytomidae, Leucospidae, Mymari dae, Ormyridae, Rotoitidae, Signiphoridae, Torymidae and Trichogrammatidae are each indicated as monophyletic by at least one putative synapomorphy, b ut could render other families paraphyletic. Aphelinidae, Eupelmidae, Ptero malidae, and Tetracampidae are not demonstrably monophyletic. Agaonidae is monophyletic only if restricted to Agaoninae, and Eucharitidae is monophyle tic only if restricted to Eucharitinae + Oraseminae. Eupelmidae may be para phyletic with respect to Tanaostigmatidae and Encyrtidae, and Tanaostigmati dae including Cynipencyrtus may be paraphyletic relative to Encyrtidae. Per ilampidae (Perilampinae + Chrysolampinae) are either polyphyletic or paraph yletic with respect to Eucharitidae + Akapalinae + Philomidinae. No cladist ic hypotheses of familial relationships based on character evidence have co nsidered the superfamily in its entirety.