The Telenominae is a group of minute wasps that all parasitize and thereby destroy the eggs of other insects. Nearly 600 different species have so far been recognized, but this represents but a minor portion of its total diversity. The hosts that are attacked and killed include many species of agricultural, silvicultural, and medical importance. As a result, these wasps are often proposed as possible biological control agents. Achievement of this potential as non-chemical methods of affecting pest insect populations has been severely inhibited by our inability to recognize and distinguish among the many forms. The overall goal of this project is to address this problem: to establish means for identifying these wasps and to study their evolution and distribution. This proposal focuses on the species classified as Trissolcus and Paratelenomus. Both groups are egg parasites of stink bugs and their allies (including the major pests, the rice stink bug and the southern green stink bug). Previous studies have addressed the diversity of species in the Americas, Australia, and tropical Asia. This project will complete the study of these two groups by incorporating work on the African and temperate Eurasian faunas. It will culminate in a worldwide summary of the scientific classification of the species, of the patterns of their evolutionary relationships, and an analysis of the biogeographic patterns. This will provide the framework for further studies of the evolution of their biology.
