Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Braconidae
Author
Broad, Gavin R.
Author
Shaw, Mark R.
Author
Godfray, H. Charles J.
text
Biodiversity Data Journal
2016
4
8151
8151
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e8151
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e8151
1314-2828--8151
Dacnusini
Foerster
, 1863
Notes
The classification of the
Dacnusini
was revised by Griffiths (
Griffiths 1964
,
Griffiths 1967a
,
Griffiths 1967b
,
Griffiths 1967c
,
Griffiths 1968a
,
Griffiths 1968b
) in a pioneering treatment that was one of the first applications of explicit phylogenetic methods in taxonomy. It was also unusual in being based on extensive reared material.
Griffiths'
classification is followed here although one of the consequences of his strict adherence to phylogenetic principles is that
Chorebus
and
Dacnusa
are very large genera. Also, as Griffiths realised, the definition of
Exotela
is unsatisfactory as it lacks clear apomorphic characters. This group of insects had previously been revised by Nixon (
Nixon 1943
,
Nixon 1944
,
Nixon 1945
,
Nixon 1946
,
Nixon 1948
,
Nixon 1949
,
Nixon 1954
), who recognised a greater number of genera, and some authors (
Tobias 1986
,
Tobias 1998
,
Perepechayenko 2000
,
Fischer et al. 2004
) have resurrected
Nixon's
genera or used them as subgenera. This seems a retrograde step given
Griffiths'
clear statements of phylogenetic hypotheses and is not used here. In both
Chorebus
and
Dacnusa
, Griffiths defined a series of species groups that with further research should form the basis of better classifications of these genera.
Griffiths (1964)
gives a key to genera and
Wharton (1997)
is also very helpful. The
Coelinius
genus group (
Coelinius
,
Trachionus
,
Epimicta
,
Aristelix
,
Laotris
,
Sarops
and
Synelix
) is generally agreed to be monophyletic and was not revised at species level by Nixon or Griffiths. Distribution data from
Griffiths'
and
Nixon's
revisions (loc. cit.) and NMS.