Conostigmus spp. (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae) of the Holarctic

Ceraphronoidea are among some of the most commonly collected hymenopterans, and yet little is known about their taxonomy. The genus Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae) especially has been neglected by modern systematic efforts. It is currently unknown how many species are even found within the United States. I present for the first time a phylogeny of known Conostigmus species from Europe based on morphological and genomic data. To expedite future species descriptions, make our phenotypes more explicit, and broadly avail these phenotype data, I have established a databank of semantically represented morphological characters. I discuss the use of CLSM microscopy as an important tool in systematics for examining morphological features and building hypotheses related to structure and function. I conclude with an example of how this has been used to explore the structure and function of previously undescribed semitransparent patches found on the abdomens of all Ceraphroinoidea.