Open AccessParaphyletic taxa and taxonomic chaining: evaluating the classification of braconine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using 28S D2‐3 rDNA sequences and morphological characters
Author(s) -
BELSHAW ROBERT,
LOPEZVAAMONDE CARLOS,
DEGERLI NACI,
QUICKE DONALD L. J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2001.tb01370.x
Subject(s) - paraphyly , biology , subfamily , monophyly , braconidae , synapomorphy , taxon , zoology , genus , hymenoptera , clade , parasitoid , phylogenetics , paleontology , biochemistry , gene
The parasitoid wasp subfamily Braconinae is dominated by the type genus Bracon , a genus which probably now contains more than 1000 described species and no reliable subgeneric groupings. By analysing 28S D2‐3 rDNA sequences in representative braconines we show that the genus is paraphyletic. It is unlikely that sufficient molecular data will be amassed, or new morphological characters discovered, in the foreseeable future to divide this huge amorphous genus into reciprocally monophyletic clades. As we believe that it is unsatisfactory to leave this situation as it stands we propose that Bracon should be treated formally as a likely paraphyletic taxon, and we argue that the ICZN should consider creating such a category. On the basis of our estimated phylogeny we also propose a revised classification for this subfamily that avoids paraphyletic tribes and subtribes, replacing several of these with informal genus groups.