Zele Curtis is a braconid parasitoid wasp genus within the subfamily Euphorinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), consisting of only 30 species worldwide. The Chinese species of the genus Zele are revised and 29 species are now recognised, including 19 species new to science: Z. aquilus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. carinatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. confusus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. cristatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. curvatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. curvinervis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. densipunctatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. extensus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. fulgidus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. fuscatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. impolitus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. inclinator Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. irregularis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. petiolatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. rugulosus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. sculpticoxis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. shaanxiensis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., Z. syntomus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov., and Z. vacatus Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, sp. nov. 31 barcode region sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) from the genus Zele were obtained and combined with 102 sequences from BOLD. They were used to validate new species and to get an indication of similarity among species. Three species are reinstated: Zele peronatus (Shestakov, 1940), Z. romani (Fahringer, 1929), and Z. rufulus (Thomson, 1895). In addition, an identification key for the Zele species recorded in China (plus one expected species) is provided.

Cynipoidea is a medium-sized superfamily of Hymenoptera with diverse lifestyles. In this study, 16 mitochondrial genomes were newly sequenced, 11 of which were the first obtained mitochondrial genomes in the family Liopteridae and four subfamilies (Anacharitinae, Aspicerinae, Figitinae, and Parnipinae) of Figitidae. All of the newly sequenced mitogenomes have unique rearrangement types within Cynipoidea, whereas some gene patterns are conserved in several groups. nad5-nad4-nad4L-nad6-cytb was remotely inverted and two rRNA genes were translocated to nad3 downstream in Ibaliidae and three subfamilies (Anacharitinae, Eucoilinae, and Parnipinae within Figitidae); two rRNA genes in Aspicerinae, Figitinae, and Liopteridae were remotely inverted to the cytb-nad1 junction; rrnL-rrnS was translocated to the cytb-nad1 junction in Cynipidae. Phylogenetic inference suggested that Figitidae was a polyphyletic group, while the Ibaliidae nested deep within Cynipoidea and was a sister-group to the Figitidae. These results will improve our understanding of the gene rearrangement of the mitogenomes and the phylogenetic relationships in the Cynipoidea.

Ichneumonidae is one of the largest families of insects with a mega-diversity of specialized morphological and biological characteristics. We newly sequenced 92 mitochondrial genomes of ichneumonid wasps and found that they have a conserved base composition and a lower evolutionary rate than that of other families of parasitic Hymenoptera. There are 38 types of gene order in the ichneumonid mitochondrial genome, with 30 novel types identified in 104 ichneumonids. We also found that the rearrangement events occur more frequently in Ophioniformes than in Ichneumoniformes and Pimpliformes. Furthermore, the higher Ophioniformes and their relative lineages shared the transposition of trnL2 to trnI-trnQ-trnM tRNA cluster. We confirmed five higher-level groupings of Ichneumonidae: Brachycyrtiformes, Ichneumoniformes, Ophioniformes, Pimpliformes and Xoridiformes. Two formerly unplaced subfamilies, Eucerotinae and Microleptinae, were placed in Brachycyrtiformes and Ichneumoniformes, respectively. The results will improve our understanding of the diversity and evolution of Ichneumonidae.

The genus Phanerotomella Szépligeti, 1900 (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae) is revised for China, including 42 species. A total of 16 new species are described: P. annulata sp. nov., P. atratoides sp. nov., P. aurantisoma sp. nov., P. brevifemorata sp. nov., P. digitata sp. nov., P. distenticornis sp. nov., P. emeiensis sp. nov., P. exilicornis sp. nov., P. flavigena sp. nov., P. fulgida sp. nov., P. fuscitibialis sp. nov., P. nigrisoma sp. nov., P. rugifera sp. nov., P. rugulosa sp. nov., P. tenuipes sp. nov., and P. xui sp. nov. Eight species are newly recorded for China: P. albiscapa (Ashmead, 1905), P. barbieri Sigwalt, 1978, P. bellula Papp, 1989, P. bisulcata (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838), P. collinsi Zettel, 1989, P. hawaiiensis (Ashmead, 1901), P. mellivena van Achterberg nom. nov., and P. yemenitica van Achterberg, 2021. Seven new synonyms are proposed: P. gracilimandiblis Chen & Ji, 2003 is synonymised with P. bicolorata He & Chen, 1995; P. longieyes Chen & Ji, 2003 and P. picticornis Chen & Ji, 2003 are synonymised with P. collinsi Zettel, 1989; P. longipedes Chen & Ji, 2003 is synonymised with P. taiwanensis Zettel, 1989; P. rugifrontatus Chen & Ji, 2003 is synonymised with P. bellula Papp, 1989; P. variareolata Belokobylskij, 1986 is synonymised with P. pulchra Fahringer, 1934; and P. flava Lӑcӑtușu, 1963 is synonymised with P. rufa (Marshall, 1898), while P. flava Zettel, 1989 is renamed P. mellivena van Achterberg nom. nov.

The Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera sinensis (Saussure), is a carnivorous insect that preys on a variety of arthropods and small vertebrates, including pest species. Several studies have been conducted to understand its behavior and physiology. However, there is limited knowledge about the genetic information underlying its genome evolution, digestive demands, and predatory behaviors. Here we have assembled the chromosome-level genome of T. sinensis, representing the first sequenced genome of the family Mantidae, with a genome size of 2.54 Gb and scaffold N50 of 174.78 Mb. Our analyses revealed that 98.6% of BUSCO genes are present, resulting in a well-annotated assembly compared to other insect genomes, containing 25,022 genes. The reconstructed phylogenetic analysis showed the expected topology placing the praying mantis in an appropriate position. Analysis of transposon elements suggested the Gypsy/Dirs family, which belongs to long terminal repeat (LTR) transposons, may be a key factor resulting in the larger genome size. The genome shows expansions in several digestion and detoxification associated gene families, including trypsin and glycosyl hydrolase (GH) genes, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, and carboxylesterase (CarE), reflecting the possible genomic basis of digestive demands. Furthermore, we have found 1 ultraviolet-sensitive opsin and 2 long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsins, emphasizing the core role of LWS opsins in regulating predatory behaviors. The high-quality genome assembly of the praying mantis provides a valuable repository for studying the evolutionary patterns of the mantis genomes and the gene expression profiles of insect predators.