Taxonomy and evolution of putative thelytokous species of <i><scp>L</scp>eptopilina</i> (<scp>H</scp>ymenoptera: <scp>F</scp>igitidae) from <scp>J</scp>apan, with description of two new species

Abstract

Abstract Wasps of the genus L eptopilina ( H ymenoptera: F igitidae) are larvo–pupal parasitoids of D rosophila species. Here we report three putative thelytokous species of this genus from J apan, with description of two new species L . tokioensis and L . tsushimaensis , which have been recorded from central J apan and T sushima, respectively. Another thelytokous species is L . longipes occurring in northern J apan, although its E uropean populations are assumed to be arrhenotokous. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggest the present three species are diversified from one another and also from the other L eptopilina species. These three thelytokous species are infected by B ‐supergroup W olbachia as in E uropean thelytokous species, L . clavipes and L . australis . The evolution of these thelytokous species is discussed based on the present and previous results, and the occurrence and distributions of L eptopilina species in J apan and surrounding regions are briefly reviewed.