Maxfischeriinae: a new braconid subfamily (Hymenoptera) with highly specialized egg morphology

The tribe Maxfischeriini, previously placed in Helconinae, is emended to subfamily status based on morphological and biological evidence. Proposed autapomorphies for Maxfischeriinae include: the presence of a pronotal shelf, forewing vein 1a and 2a present, although 1a nebulous, ventral valve of the ovipositor with serrations from tip to base and specialized egg morphology. The novel, pedunculate egg morphology is described for Maxfischeria, representing a new life‐history strategy among Braconidae. Based on egg and ovipositor morphology, we suggest that Maxfischeria is a proovigenic, koinobiont ectoparasitoid. Five new species of Maxfischeria Papp are described with an illustrated key to all species (Maxfischeria ameliae sp.n. , Maxfischeria anic sp.n. , Maxfischeria briggsi sp.n. , Maxfischeria folkertsorum sp.n. and Maxfischeria ovumancora sp.n. ). In addition to the identification key presented here, all known species of Maxfischeria can be separated using the barcoding region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Based on molecular data, the phylogenetic relationships among the six known species of Maxfischeria are as follows: (M. folkertsorum sp.n. (M. ovumancora sp.n. (M. briggsi sp.n. (M. anic sp.n. (M. tricolor + M. ameliae sp.n. ))))).