S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 27/2. (Budapest, 1974)
A definite correlation exists between the degree of atrophy in venation and in body size, though this phenomenon is not consequent in every case. Starting from the biggest Bra conidae and proceeding toward the smallest ones we can produce a series of gradual vein atrophy from the comparative morphological aspect. At the end of the series, however, we would not find veinless species but ones with a less number of veins of which most are only weakly chitinized. In the apomorph forms the median, the cubital and sometimes the basal veins are partly atrophied (from the weakly chitinized veins we find a series of partly or wholly obliterated veins) besides the above mentioned atrophied distal veins (Perilitus , Microctonus , Leiophron , Euphoriana , Syntretus, etc. species). We do not know of any Braconidae which has only rudimentary venation like in Chalcidoidea and Proctotrupoidea , but we are aware of certain species belonging to various taxonomical groups (Euphorinae : Leiphron ; Alysiinae: Aspilota , Synaldis; Dacnusinae: Dacnusa; Hormiini: Ecphylus ; Adeliinae: Mirax, Adelius ) whose wing venation is wholly faded, i.e. very weakly chitinized. k) Gradual fusion of abdominal tergites. - Besides the lack of the 2nd recurrent vein, the other most important morphological character of Braconidae is the fusion of the 2nd and 3rd abdominal tergites, in other words, they are immovable with respect to each other. In the majority of Braconidae the rest of the tergites are not fused, except in subfamilies Cheloninae and Triaspiinae (about 600 and 200 species in the world), the Clyptini tribe (about 120 species in the world) shows an intermediate stage between the entirely fused abdominal tergites and the movable ones. In this respect the genera Calyptus, Foersteria, Allodorus and Polydegmon display a various degree of fusion (the first three tergites are enlarged at the expense of other tergites). We know of gradual series within the subfamilies of Cheloninae and Triaspiinae (here we may speak about synapomorph features and not convergence): the posterior margin of the first three abdominal tergites is clearly perceiveable (Cheloninae: Phanerotoma , Pha- nerotomella , Sphaeropyx ; Triaspiinae: Triaspis inpart , Alious species ), while the same tergites cannot clearly be separated or are entirely fused (Cheloninae: Chelonus , Ascogaster , Microchelonus; Triaspiinae : Triaspis in part, Schizoprymnus, Urosi- galphus species 7 The partial or entire fusion of abdominal tergites is such an evolutionary trend which affects the whole subfamily of Calyptinae, Triaspiinae and Cheloninae, but it also occurs in most of the subfamilies of Braconidae . It appears that the fusion of the abdominal tergites is such a trend i n Braconidae which in phylogenetical sense is not yet manifested in several groups or the first representatives have been formed which are the hases for futher combinations producing new subfamilies or tribes, etc. According to HENNIG this is a converging evolutionary trend which has meaning both in phylogenetics and in inheritance. It is an open question whether this trend is favourable for Braco nidae or not, it is difficult to decide. So far no rational explanation has yet been offered as to why some groups of Braconidae show partial or entire fusion of abdominal tergites. If this trend will be generally applicable to all Braconidae in the future then the present-day evolutionary trend will become a basic characteristic of this family. In our geohistorical present we know of fused tergites in the following groups (the number of species is in parenthesis after the subfamilies or genera): Braconinae (6000): Telen- gaia (1), Acanthormius (3), GaStrothe ca (1), Pambolus (8) - Rogadinae (300): Chelonorogas (3), Rogadinapsis (1) - Helconinae : tChelonohelcon (from the Lower Oligocène) Microgasterinae (2000): Fornicia (19), Buluka (1) - Opiinae (1100): Coleopius (4) - Dac nusinae (800): Symphya (12) - Alysiinae (600): Gastralysia (1), Hylcalosia (1).
