The Hymenopteran superfamily of parasitoid wasps, Platygastroidea, has often been treated as a lineage within the superfamily Proctotrupoidea, but most classifications since 1977 have recognized it as an independent group within the Proctotrupomorpha. It is presently has some 4000 described species.[1] They are exclusively parasitic in nature.

Platygastroidea
Temporal range: Barremian–Present
A platygastrid wasp (Leptacis sp.)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Infraorder: Proctotrupomorpha
Superfamily: Platygastroidea
Families

The family Scelionidae was briefly considered to be a subfamily of the Platygastridae,[2][3] though subsequent analyses have reversed this decision. Chen et al (2021) recognizes eight families, including five new extant families (Geoscelionidae, Janzenellidae, Neuroscelionidae, Nixoniidae, and Sparasionidae) and one extinct family †Proterosceliopsidae, known from fossils found in Cretaceous amber.[4] Members of the group are known from the Early Cretaceous to present.[5] The ancestral hosts of the group are orthopterans, with various lineages switching hosts to other insects.[4]

Trissolcus (family Scelionidae) on Chinavia eggs

References edit

  1. ^ Talamas EJ, Johnson NF, Shih C, Ren D (2019) Proterosceliopsidae: A new family of Platygastroidea from Cretaceous amber. In: Talamas E (Eds) Advances in the Systematics of Platygastroidea II. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 73: 3-38. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.73.32256
  2. ^ Aguiar et al. 2013
  3. ^ Sharkey, M.J. (2007). "Phylogeny and Classification of Hymenoptera". Zootaxa. 309: 13–48.
  4. ^ a b Chen, Huayan; Lahey, Zachary; Talamas, Elijah J.; Valerio, Alejandro A.; Popovici, Ovidiu A.; Musetti, Luciana; Klompen, Hans; Polaszek, Andrew; Masner, Lubomír; Austin, Andrew D.; Johnson, Norman F. (2021). "An integrated phylogenetic reassessment of the parasitoid superfamily Platygastroidea (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupomorpha) results in a revised familial classification". Systematic Entomology. 46 (4): 1088–1113. doi:10.1111/syen.12511. ISSN 1365-3113.
  5. ^ Johnson, Norman F.; Musetti, Luciana; Masner, Lubomír (2008). "The Cretaceous Scelionid Genus Proteroscelio Brues (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea)". American Museum Novitates (3603): 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2008)3603[1:tcsgpb]2.0.co;2. ISSN 0003-0082. S2CID 67766290.

External links edit