A Short History Regarding the Taxonomy and Systematic Researches of Platygastroidea (Hymenoptera)

This paper presents an overview of the most important and best-known works that were the subject of taxonomy or systematics Platygastroidea superfamily. The paper is divided into three parts. In the first part of the research surprised the early period can be placed throughout the XIXth century between Latreille and Dalla Torre. Before this period, references about platygastrids and scelionids were made by Linnaeus and Schrank, they are the ones who described the first platygastrid and scelionid respectively. In this the first period work entomologists as: Haliday, Westwood, Walker, Forster, Ashmead, Thomson, Howard, etc., the result of their work being the description of 699 scelionids species which are found quoted in Dalla Torre's catalogue. The second part of the paper is devoted to early 20th century. This vibrant work is marked by the work of two great entomologists: Kieffer and Dodd. In this period one publish the first and only global monograph of platygastrids and scelionids until now. In this monograph are twice the number of species than in Dalla Torre's catalogue which shows the magnitude of the systematic research of those moments. The third part of the paper refers to the late 20th and early 21st century. This period, which continues today, is the period of modern systematics and taxonomy research about platygastrids and scelionids. During this period these two families become a distinct Superfamily which differs by Proctotrupoidea Superfamily. A great contribution in taxonomic and systematic Platygastroidea Superfamily brought Masner and Kozlov, the presentation of their work occupying the largest space of this 3rd party.