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Background Anomopterellidae was originally classified as a family within the Evanioidea, and later lowered to a subfamily, Anomopterellinae, of Praeaulacidae. Up to date, only Rasnitsyn 1975, with four species, was assigned to Anomopterellinae. Due to their special wing venation and their metasomal attachment similar to those known in Evanioidea, the systematic position of Anomopterellinae in Evanioidea has been in contention. Principal Findings Here we report a new fossil genus Synaphopterella gen. nov. and six species from the Middle Jurassic of China and transfer Anomopterella stenocera Rasnitsyn, 1975, from Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan, to Choristopterella gen. nov. We place these three genera in the restored family Anomopterellidae and provide a key to known genera and species. Conclusions/Significance Based on new fossil specimens and phylogenetic analyses, Praeaulacidae has the most basal position in Evanioidea and it is justifiable to restore Anomopterellidae Rasnitsyn, 1975 as a full family. Comparing the size of all described anomopterellids from China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, we conclude that the species from China have larger bodies and forewings. Diversity of the Praeaulacidae and Anomopterellidae in the late Middle Jurassic of Daohugou suggests that Evanioidea appeared at least before the late Middle Jurassic.

Background Animal mitochondrial genomes are potential models for molecular evolution and markers for phylogenetic and population studies. Previous research has shown interesting features in hymenopteran mitochondrial genomes. Here, we conducted a comparative study of mitochondrial genomes of the family Braconidae, one of the largest families of Hymenoptera, and assessed the utility of mitochondrial genomic data for phylogenetic inference at three different hierarchical levels, i.e., Braconidae, Hymenoptera, and Holometabola. Results Seven mitochondrial genomes from seven subfamilies of Braconidae were sequenced. Three of the four sequenced A+T-rich regions are shown to be inverted. Furthermore, all species showed reversal of strand asymmetry, suggesting that inversion of the A+T-rich region might be a synapomorphy of the Braconidae. Gene rearrangement events occurred in all braconid species, but gene rearrangement rates were not taxonomically correlated. Most rearranged genes were tRNAs, except those of Cotesia vestalis , in which 13 protein-coding genes and 14 tRNA genes changed positions or/and directions through three kinds of gene rearrangement events. Remote inversion is posited to be the result of two independent recombination events. Evolutionary rates were lower in species of the cyclostome group than those of noncyclostomes. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genomes and secondary structure of rrnS supported a sister-group relationship between Aphidiinae and cyclostomes. Many well accepted relationships within Hymenoptera, such as paraphyly of Symphyta and Evaniomorpha, a sister-group relationship between Orussoidea and Apocrita, and monophyly of Proctotrupomorpha, Ichneumonoidea and Aculeata were robustly confirmed. New hypotheses, such as a sister-group relationship between Evanioidea and Aculeata, were generated. Among holometabolous insects, Hymenoptera was shown to be the sister to all other orders. Mecoptera was recovered as the sister-group of Diptera. Neuropterida (Neuroptera + Megaloptera), and a sister-group relationship with (Diptera + Mecoptera) were supported across all analyses. Conclusions Our comparative studies indicate that mitochondrial genomes are a useful phylogenetic tool at the ordinal level within Holometabola, at the superfamily within Hymenoptera and at the subfamily level within Braconidae. Variation at all of these hierarchical levels suggests that the utility of mitochondrial genomes is likely to be a valuable tool for systematics in other groups of arthropods.

Distributional checklists of the extant, described species of five superfamilies of Hymenoptera of Canada, Alaska and Greenland are presented. In total, 296 species in 79 genera in 12 families are recorded: 55 species of Ceraphronoidea, classified in 10 genera in 2 families, 205 species of Cynipoidea in 58 genera in 5 families, 30 species of Evanioidea in 5 genera in 3 families of Evanioidea, 2 species of Stephanoidea in 2 genera in 1 family and 4 species of Trigonalyoidea in 4 genera in 1 family. Of the reported species, 281 (in 79 genera in 12 families) are listed from Canada, 31 (in 16 genera in 6 families) from Alaska, and 7 (in 5 genera in 2 families) from Greenland. The list includes 8 new generic records for Canada (1 Ceraphronoidea, 6 Cynipoidea and 1 Evanioidea) and 43 new Canadian species records (13 Ceraphronoidea, 28 Cynipoidea and 2 Evanioidea). For each species in Canada, distribution is tabulated by province or territory, except the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is divided into the island of Newfoundland and the region of Labrador. These checklists are compared with previous Nearctic and Palaearctic surveys, checklists and catalogues. Kleidotoma minima Provancher, 1883 (Figitidae) is moved from this genus to Hexacola Förster, 1869 to form H. minimum (Provancher, 1883), comb. nov. Amblynotus slossonae Crawford, 1917 (Figitidae) is moved from Melanips Walker, 1835 to Amphithectus Hartig, 1840 forming A. slossonae (Crawford, 1917), comb. nov.

Anomopterellidae was originally classified as a family within the Evanioidea, and later lowered to a subfamily, Anomopterellinae, of Praeaulacidae. Up to date, only Rasnitsyn 1975, with four species, was assigned to Anomopterellinae. Due to their special wing venation and their metasomal attachment similar to those known in Evanioidea, the systematic position of Anomopterellinae in Evanioidea has been in contention. Here we report a new fossil genus Synaphopterella gen. nov. and six species from the Middle Jurassic of China and transfer Anomopterella stenocera Rasnitsyn, 1975, from Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan, to Choristopterella gen. nov. We place these three genera in the restored family Anomopterellidae and provide a key to known genera and species. Based on new fossil specimens and phylogenetic analyses, Praeaulacidae has the most basal position in Evanioidea and it is justifiable to restore Anomopterellidae Rasnitsyn, 1975 as a full family. Comparing the size of all described anomopterellids from China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, we conclude that the species from China have larger bodies and forewings. Diversity of the Praeaulacidae and Anomopterellidae in the late Middle Jurassic of Daohugou suggests that Evanioidea appeared at least before the late Middle Jurassic.

The Neotropical species of Pristaulacus Kieffer with acute anterolateral projections on the mesonotum are revised. Twenty-one species are included, distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina: P. ambiguus (Schletterer), P. anteruber Smith, n. sp.,P. argutus Smith, P. biannulatus Smith, n. sp.,P. brasiliensis (Kieffer), P. decemdentatus Kieffer, P. femurrubrum Smith, P. haemorrhoidalis (Westwood), P. haemorrhoidellus (Westwood), P. maculatus (Schletterer), P. nobilis (Westwood), P. omnis Smith, n. sp.,P. punctatus Smith, P. ruficeps (Westwood), P. ruficollis (Cameron), P. sexdentatus Kieffer, P. spinifer (Westwood), P. tria Smith, P. tridentatus Smith, P. vittatus Smith, n. sp., and P. zonatipennis Roman. A key separating this group of species from other Pristaulacus and to species is provided.

A review of the genera and species of Hymenoptera Parasitica and Chrysidoidea reported so far from Reunion Island is provided with host information. Data presented here is based on a review of the existing literature by the authors. The list includes: (1) 156 species of Ichneumonoidea belonging to 65 genera and 25 subfamilies (Braconidae: Agathidinae, Alysiinae, Aphidiinae, Braconinae, Charmontinae, Cheloninae, Doryctinae, Euphorinae, Gnamptodontinae, Microgastrinae, Opiinae; Ichneumonidae: Banchinae, Campopleginae, Cremastinae, Cryptinae, Diplazontinae, Ichneumoninae, Mesochorinae, Metopiinae, Ophioninae, Orthocentrinae, Pimplinae, Tersilochinae, Tryphoninae); (2) 121 species of Chalcidoidea belonging to 56 genera and 8 families (Agaonidae, Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Ormyridae, Pteromalidae, Signophoridae, Torymidae and Trichogrammatidae); (3) seven species of Cynipoidea (family Figitidae); (4) six species of Chrysidoidea in three families (Bethylidae, Chrysididae, Dryinidae); (5) five species of Platygastroidea (families Platygastridae and Scelionidae); (6) five species of Diaprioidea (family Diapriidae); (7) four species of Ceraphronoidae (families Ceraphronidae and Megaspilidae); and (8) two species of Evanioidea (family Evaniidae). This review records a total of 306 species.

The apocritan Hymenoptera show extraordinary features in mitochondrial genomes, but no complete sequence has been reported for the basal lineage, Evanioidea. Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Evania appendigaster. This genome is 17,817 bp long; with low A+T content, 77.8%, compared with other hymenopteran species. Four tRNA genes were rearranged, among which remote inversion is the dominant gene rearrangement event. Gene shuffling is caused by tandem duplication-random loss while remote inversion is best explained by recombination. The start codon of nad1 was found as TTG, which might be common across Hymenoptera. trnS2 and trnK use abnormal anticodons TCT and TTT, respectively, and the D-stem pairings in trnS2 are absent. The secondary structure of two rRNA genes are predicted and compared with those in other insects. Five long intergenic spacers were present, including a long intergenic spacer between atp8 and atp6, where these two genes overlap in the previously reported animal genomes. A conserved motif was found between trnS1 and nad1, which is proposed to be associated with mtTERM. The A+T-rich region is 2,325 bp long, among the longest in insects, and contains a tandem repeat region.

Taxonomy and diversity of Evaniidae from India have not been studied in depth and hosts of many species are unknown. Out of 31 world genera, only five genera ( Evania Fab., Prosevania Kieffer, Szepligetella Bradley, Vernevania Huben & Deans and Zeuxevania Kieffer) are reported from India. Based on the collection deposited in the Hymenoptera section of Zoological Survey of India (National Zoological Collection), here we are describing a new species of the genus Zeuxevania . A new evaniid species Zeuxevania hubeni sp. nov. is described, based on a female specimen collected from Kadaludi Bird Sanctuary, Kerala, India. The new species is compared with Z. curvicarinata (Cameron), as well as Z. kasauliensis (Muzaffer) and a key to Indian species, based on females, is provided. The type specimen is deposited in the National Zoological Collection, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.

Aulacus machaerophorus sp. n. is described from females collected in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. This new species has some interesting characteristics such as a very short ovipositor, absence of a ventral lobe and ovipositor guide on hind coxa, and smooth and shiny axillula, and is considered to be closely related to Nearctic species, Aulacus schiffi . A key to three Japanese species of Aulacus is given.