Abstract: Based on morphological studies, 25 characters of 5 species of Cotesia flavipes complex (as ingroup) and two genera Microplitis and Diolcogaster (as outgroup), and 24 characters of 5 species of Cotesia flavipes complex(as ingroup) and 3 species of the same genera (outgroup) were separately selected for cladistic analysis in an attempt to assess the phylogenetic relationships among the Cotesia flavipes complex. The results of cladistic analysis indicate that C. flavipes complex are a monophyletic group; C. chilonis and C. sesamiae are more closely related compared with other 3 species; C. chiloluteelli and C. hanshouensis is closely related with one another; C. flavipes is recognized as the independent placement. Whether using the related genera as outgroup or the congeneric species as outgroup in the cladistic analysis, the basically same scheme for classification of the five species of Cotesia flavipes complex was concluded.

Key words: Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae, Cotesia, Cotesia flavipes complex, phylogeny, cladistic analysis