Redescription of Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897, with characterization of the Anacharitinae and Aspiceratinae (Hymenoptera : Cynipoidea : Figitidae)

We redescribe the South American genus Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897 and dis cuss its phylogenetic position within the Figitidae (sensu late). The genus was originally placed in the Anacharitinae but shows affinities with both the Anacharitinae and the Aspiceratinae in the characters used currently to separate figitid subfamilies. In a recent revision of the higher-level cla ssification of cynipoids, Acanthaegilips was separated from the remainder o f the Anacharitinae and placed in a monotypic higher-level taxon. We analys e the morphological differences between the Anacharitinae and Aspiceratinae and their bearing on the monophyly of the two subfamilies and the placemen t of Acanthaegilips. We conclude that, after removal of Seitneria and Parae gilips from the Anacharitinae, both subfamilies are well defined monophylet ic groups and that Acanthaegilips belongs to the Anacharitinae, within whic h it forms a monophyletic group together with the South American genera Cal ofigites Kieffer, 1909 and Solenofigites Diaz, 1979. (C) 2000 The Linnean S ociety of London.