Monday, 27 October 2003 - 3:12 PM
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This presentation is part of : Student Competition Ten-Minute Papers, A1, Systematics, Morphology, and Evolution

Phylogenetic analysis of the genera of Disophrini (Braconidae: Agathidinae), is Coccygidium monophyletic?

Carlos E. Sarmiento-Monroy and Michael J. Sharkey. University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S225 Agric. Sci. Cen. Bldg.-N, Lexington, KY

The tribe Disophrini is composed of 18 genera distributed worldwide. Ten of these are monotypic taxa whereas Disophrys, Euagathis, and Coccygidium are species-rich. Interestingly, no evidence of monophyly has been presented for any of these three. The genus Coccygidium is particularly troublesome given its many undescribed species and its unclear relationships with genera such as Dichelosus, Hemichoma, Disophrys, and Zelomorpha. This study examines the monophyly of Coccygidium, and its relationships with other genera of the tribe. A cladistic hypothesis is presented based on the analysis of adult morphological characters of 12 genera of the tribe. Genera of other Agathidinae tribes and of the subfamily Sigalphinae (the sister group of the Agathidinae) were selected as outgroups. The present hypothesis corroborates the monophyly of the clade Trotricus-Protrotricus but not most traditional genera such as Coccygidium, Dichelosus, Disophrys, Hemichoma and Zelomorpha. Yet, a clade composed of Coccygidium, Zelomorpha, Dichelosus, Hemichoma, and some species of Disophrys is well supported as monophyletic. The recognition of Zelomorpha is shown to render Coccygidium paraphyletic. The value of many traditional taxonomic characters is discussed.

Species 1: Hymenoptera Braconidae Coccygidium Coccygidium sp
Species 2: Hymenoptera Braconidae Dichelosus
Species 3: Hymenoptera Braconidae Zelomorpha
Keywords: phylogeny, monophyly

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