Molecular Phylogeny Confirms the Monophyly of Neoceratobaeus Rajmohana, 2014 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), a Rare and Endemic Genus from India

Abstract

The members of tribe Baeini (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) are predominantly parasitoids of spider eggs. In India, baeine wasps are represented by five genera- Baeus Haliday, 1833, Idris Förster, 1856, Ceratobaeus Ashmead, 1893, Odontacolus Kieffer, 1910 and Neoceratobaeus Rajmohana, 2014. Of the above, Neoceratobaeus is comparatively rare, lesser-known and endemic to India. This study is the maiden attempt to assess Neoceratobaeus as a distinct genus under the tribe Baeini using DNA barcode data. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes supports its prior classification as a new genus based on morphology.