A revision of the braconid subfamily Euphorinae

The Euphorinae (Hymneoptera: Braconidae) include a unique and interesting group of parasitoid wasps that have transitioned from larval to adult hosts across a myriad of insect orders. Euphorines attack larval Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, as well as adult Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Psocoptera, Neuroptera, Heteroptera, and Orthoptera, utilizing one of the most diverse host assemblages within the Braconidae. The Euphorinae include more than 50 genera worldwide with an unstable classification. Phylogenetic relationships of the Euphorinae were examined with molecular and morphological data using Bayesian and parsimony approaches. This study is the first to examine tribal and generic relationships of the Euphorinae with molecular data (18s, 28s, CO1, and CAD). Additionally, a novel suite of morphological characters were analyzed alone and in combination with molecular data. This is the largest dataset ever compiled for the Euphorinae, with more than 90 taxa, representing approximately 35 genera. Evidence supports a monophyletic Euphorinae that includes Meteorus, Zele, Ecnomios, and Neoneurinae. Most evidence supports a single transition to adult parasitism, with multiple independent transitions to coleopteran hosts.