Morphological and molecular phylogenetics in the genus Leptopilina (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Eucoilidae)

We have conducted cladistic analyses of the genus Leptopilina, a group of Drosophila parasitoids studied intensively by (behavioural) ecologists. Twenty-three morphological characters were scored in ten Leptopilina and two outgroup species. At the same time, DNA sequences for the second ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) were gathered for eight Leptopilina and one outgroup species. Both data sets yielded phylogenetic trees which were largely compatible. A 'total evidence' analysis resulted in a single tree that provides a relatively robust phylogenetic reconstruction of the group, which may serve as a basis for historically interpreting the distribution of ecological and behavioural traits.