The subfamily Ctenopelmatinae has been routinely included in the Ophioniformes, a derived clade within the Ichneumonidae, Despite several recently published analyses, their placement within the Ophioniformes remains uncertain. In this analysis, the monophyly of Ctenopelmatinae is assessed, and relationships among and within tribes of this subfamily are explored. The morphological basis for the current classification is discussed and sequence data, primarily from the D2 and D3-5 regions of 28s ribosomal DNA, are presented for comparison. The effect on tree topology using different alignment techniques is also explored.