Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae)
Abstract Despite their ecological and economic importance as key regulators of insect populations worldwide, eulophid wasps remain one of the taxonomically most neglected groups of insects. As these minute parasitoid wasps exhibit an astonishing species diversity while being challenging to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny |
| Online Access: | https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub.com/article/153226/download/pdf/ |
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| author | Emma Kärrnäs Christer Hansson Niklas Wahlberg |
| author_facet | Emma Kärrnäs Christer Hansson Niklas Wahlberg |
| author_sort | Emma Kärrnäs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite their ecological and economic importance as key regulators of insect populations worldwide, eulophid wasps remain one of the taxonomically most neglected groups of insects. As these minute parasitoid wasps exhibit an astonishing species diversity while being challenging to identify, relying on morphological characters alone has long been problematic. By using large-scale barcoding and molecular species delimitation analyses of 909 specimens, of which 641 were of European origin, we reveal a remarkable diversity of cryptic species in the two eulophid wasp genera Oomyzus Rondani and Quadrastichus Girault (Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae) present in Europe. We also present 40 new country records for 17 species and greatly improve the existing DNA barcode libraries of these two groups. Using the four different species delimitation methods ABGD, ASAP, GMYC and mPTP, the number of potentially undescribed European species detected in this study ranges from 20 to 34, of which 16 to 24 are cryptic. These results suggest that not even half of the European Oomyzus and Quadrastichus species are currently known, thus highlighting the need for further taxonomic work. However, the results also highlight issues with molecular species delimitations based on barcode data, such as incongruence across different analysis methods and potential barcode sharing between closely related species. Therefore, the results also challenge the validity of relying on a single molecular marker when detecting and subsequently describing new species, an increasing practise within modern taxonomy termed “turbo-taxonomy”. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-661db0f56d3b4e42aec598798a5a7ddb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1864-8312 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny |
| spelling | doaj-art-661db0f56d3b4e42aec598798a5a7ddb2025-08-23T07:31:02ZengSenckenberg Gesellschaft für NaturforschungArthropod Systematics & Phylogeny1864-83122025-08-018341542510.3897/asp.83.e153226153226Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae)Emma Kärrnäs0Christer Hansson1Niklas Wahlberg2Lund UniversityThe Natural History MuseumLund UniversityAbstract Despite their ecological and economic importance as key regulators of insect populations worldwide, eulophid wasps remain one of the taxonomically most neglected groups of insects. As these minute parasitoid wasps exhibit an astonishing species diversity while being challenging to identify, relying on morphological characters alone has long been problematic. By using large-scale barcoding and molecular species delimitation analyses of 909 specimens, of which 641 were of European origin, we reveal a remarkable diversity of cryptic species in the two eulophid wasp genera Oomyzus Rondani and Quadrastichus Girault (Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae) present in Europe. We also present 40 new country records for 17 species and greatly improve the existing DNA barcode libraries of these two groups. Using the four different species delimitation methods ABGD, ASAP, GMYC and mPTP, the number of potentially undescribed European species detected in this study ranges from 20 to 34, of which 16 to 24 are cryptic. These results suggest that not even half of the European Oomyzus and Quadrastichus species are currently known, thus highlighting the need for further taxonomic work. However, the results also highlight issues with molecular species delimitations based on barcode data, such as incongruence across different analysis methods and potential barcode sharing between closely related species. Therefore, the results also challenge the validity of relying on a single molecular marker when detecting and subsequently describing new species, an increasing practise within modern taxonomy termed “turbo-taxonomy”.https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub.com/article/153226/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Emma Kärrnäs Christer Hansson Niklas Wahlberg Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny |
| title | Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) |
| title_full | Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) |
| title_fullStr | Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) |
| title_short | Large-scale DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) |
| title_sort | large scale dna barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in eulophid wasps hymenoptera chalcidoidea eulophidae |
| url | https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub.com/article/153226/download/pdf/ |
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