Getting the most out of old specimens: A phylogenetic analysis of Cremnops (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) incorporating the minibarcode region of COI

Parasitoid wasps are known for their importance in ecological systems and pest control, but they are also known for being difficult to identify with their diverse morphology and numerous cryptic species. One of these important yet difficult to identify groups of parasitoid wasps is Cremnops, a cosmopolitan genus of Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) comprised of approximately 100 species. In order to accurately delimit species and build a phylogenetic tree representing plausible relationships, molecular data are needed. Obtaining viable DNA for representatives of all species of a group is challenging, even if only looking at the 33 New World species Cremnops instead of all species worldwide. To overcome the problems presented by specimens that are available, but have degraded DNA, primers were developed to target the minibarcode region of COI. These primers targeting short regions of COI led to the acquisition of additional specimen sequences, which in turn provided a fuller phylogenetic representation and shed light on some cryptic species.