9306812 Pulawski Tachysphex is a genus of ground nesting solitary wasps, occurring in all parts of the world except the polar regions. Females provide their nests with various orthopterous insects such as grasshoppers, cockroaches and mantids. Most of these wasp species are quite common, especially in arid lands, and are thus a factor in controlling population levels of their prey. In contrast to the other parts of the world, the African species remain largely unstudied, yet the number of species, an estimated 200, is higher than in any other zoogeographic region of the world. The available publications are outdated (e.g. Arnold, 1923; 1924). They do not reflect the modern level of knowledge of the morphology of these wasps and do not even allow recognition/identification of the vast majority of individual species. Such poor knowledge is a clear handicap in all faunal inventories, studies of insect biology and insect zoogeography and prevents attempted use of Tachysphex for biological control. The Principal Investigator (PI) in this project will collect both specimens and behavioral/biological information on these wasps through extensive collecting efforts in several countries in Africa and on Madagascar. Data will also be gathered from existing collections in several museums. The PI already done monographic work on members of this genus for other areas and this African project will contribute to completion of a major monographic treatment of the genus for the world. %%% This major taxonomic revision of a group of solitary ground nesting wasps will contribute to basic knowledge of relationships of these wasps. It will also provi de information on their nesting behavior and prey preferences which may be of utility in biological control and pest management of several pest grasshopper and cockroach species. ***
