Phylogenetics of Cremnops (Braconidae: Agathidinae)

Cremnops is a cosmopolitan braconid in the subfamily Agathidinae. It is estimated to have 120 species, of which only 77 have been described to date. Cremnops primarily attack and parasitize larval Pyralidae, which are often important pest in agro-ecosystems. Taxonomic revisions have been conducted for all world regions except the Afrotropical region. To date, however, no phylogenetic analyses have been conducted using either morphological or molecular data. It is important to be able to correctly identify a particular species as well as to be able to determine its closest relatives, both from a scientific and a potential biological control perspective. This presentation will outline our current molecular and morphological research to delimit species and reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the members of the genus.