Boletín de la AeE

The current state and perspectivas of chromosomal taxonomy in the parasitic Hymenoptera are reviewed. Karyological research may provide taxonomic information for various groups of hymenopterous parasites, although it is most signifícant at the species level. Karyotaxonomy of parasitic wasps will probably develop in the fiiture through further data accumulation and increasing use of enrómeseme banding methods. Nowadays chromosome data play little role in taxonomic studies of the parasitic wasps. There are two main reasons for this situation. First, taxonomists usually rely on traditional methods in their investigation, and this is (at least partly) because modern taxonomic techniques often deserve special skills both for their use and interpretation of the obtained results. Second, cytogeneticists have their own groups of research interest where chromosomes can be easily observed, and these specialists often neglect many ?_tems which are of importance for any systematic investigation (e.g. preservation of voucher specimens etc.). Technical difficulties of making chromosome preparations from the tissues of parasitic Hymenoptera also prevent wide application of karyological methods to the taxonomy of this group (Gokhman & Quicke 1995). Therefore it is not surprising that information on chromosomes of the hymenopterous parasites was involved in the process of taxonomic decisión in quite a few cases. Nevertheless, karyotaxonomic research was very successful in some other insect taxa related to the parasitic Hymenoptera. For instance, in ants which are far less numerous than parasitic wasps, many groups of sibling species were revealed by chromosome study (members of the Australian genus Myrmecia are probably the best example; see Imai et al. 1988). This paper reviews the current state and perspectivas of chromosomal taxonomy in the parasitic Hymenoptera