J. HYM. RES. Vol. 15(2), 2006, pp. 251-265 Phylogenetic Analysis of Chaenusa sensu lato (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using Mitochondrial NADH 1 Dehydrogenase Gene Sequences Robert R. Kula,* Gregory Zolnerowich and Carolyn J. Ferguson (RRK, GZ) Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA (CJF) Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA f Current address and address for correspondence: Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, c/o U.S. National Museum of Natural History, MRC-168, 10th & Constitution Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20560-0168, USA. Abstract. — Alysiinae currently contains over 1,500 described species and is divided into the tribes Alysiini and Dacnusini. There is disagreement on how species should be grouped within Dacnusini, and Chaenusa Haliday is a prime example. Chaenusa sensu lato is defined by the presence of setae on the compound eyes (Griffiths 1964). Alternatively, Riegel (1950, 1982) treated Chaenusa s.I. as three genera, Chaenusa sensu stricto, Chorebidea Viereck, and Chorebidella Riegel, and differentiated the genera primarily using forewing venation and shape of the forewing stigma. Phylogenetic analyses using molecular data have not been undertaken. Therefore, we assessed the monophyly and interspecific relationships of Chaenusa s.I., Chaenusa s.s., Chorebidea, and Chorebidella through maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses using mitochondrial NADH 1 dehydrogenase gene sequences. Chaenusa s.I. and Chorebidea were not monophyletic in any of the analyses, but four of five species of Chorebidea always formed a clade. Further, Chaenusa s.s. and Chorebidella were monophyletic in all analyses and were always sister taxa. The results of this study largely support Riegel's (1950, 1982) treatment of Chaenusa s.I. as Chaenusa s.s., Chorebidea, and Chorebidella. However, we suggest that Chaenusa s.I. be retained until additional phylogenetic analyses have been undertaken to confirm the relationships inferred in this study. In addition to the phylogenetic analyses, we discuss the morphological features relevant to Griffiths' definition of Chaenusa s.I. and Riegel's definition of Chaenusa s.s., Chorebidea, and Chorebidella. Alysiinae currently contains over 1,500 described species, and estimates of global richness range from 2,900 to 5,300 species (Dolphin and Quicke 2001). The mono-phyly of Alysiinae is firmly established based on the possession of exodont mand-ibles and the complete loss of the occipital carina (Griffiths 1964, Shaw and Huddle-ston 1991, Wharton 1997). Host records suggest that all alysiines are koinobiont endoparasitoids of cyclorrhaphous Diptera (Shaw and Huddleston 1991, Wharton and Austin 1991, Wharton 1997). Two tribes are currently recognized in Alysiinae: Alysiini and Dacnusini. Alysiini is probably nonmonophyletic as it is de-fined by the presence of forewing vein r-m (a plesiomorphy). Dacnusini is considered monophyletic based on the absence of forewing vein r-m (an apomorphy) (Grif-fiths 1964, Shaw and Huddleston 1991, Wharton 1994) and has consistently been recognized, although at different hierar-chal levels, since Forster (1862). There is widespread disagreement on how species should be grouped within Dacnusini, and Chaenusa Haliday is a prime example. Nixon (1943) divided dacnusines with setiferous compound eyes (Fig. 1) into two genera, Chaenusa and Chorebidea Vier-eck, and differentiated the genera using forewing venation and shape of the fore-wing stigma. Riegel (1950) established Chorebidella Riegel, a third genus contain-
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