What do we know about chrysidoid (Hymenoptera) relationships?

The phylogeny of the superfamily Chrysidoidea is reviewed. Relationships among the families proposed by Carpenter (1986) were confirmed by Brothers & Carpenter (1993) . The status of knowledge of phylogenetic relationships within families is assessed. Cladistic analyses have been undertaken only within Plumariidae (by Roig-Alsina 1994 ; a manual analysis of genera), Chrysididae (by Kimsey & Bohart 1991 ; a manual analysis of subfamilies and tribes, and genera within subfamilies) and Bethylidae (by Sorg 1988 ; a manual analysis of subfamilies, and genus groups within three of these; and by Polaszek & Krombein 1994 ; a quantitative cladistic analysis of the genera of Bethylinae). These analyeses are critically evaluated, and the current classifications within all the families examined cladistically. Generic relationships are investigated within Scolebythidae and Embolemidae; subfamily relationships are investigated within Sclerogibbidae and Dryinidae.