Building the systematic framework for research on biodiversity, biogeography, and evolutionary biology of ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae)

少年蜂（膜翅目：叶蜂科）发育为幼虫，以蟑螂卵壳内的卵为食。这些黄蜂表现出许多迷人的生物学特性，包括翅膀脉络的极端可变性，外观上相互模仿的不相关形式的存在，不同的产卵行为，对蟑螂进化的可能影响，以及作为蟑螂害虫生物防治剂的可能用途。然而，直到最近，由于不充分的分类系统和缺乏解决进化问题所必需的健全的系统发育，伊万科在很大程度上被生物学家所忽视。本研究旨在利用DNA、形态学和化石数据来验证物种概念，探索旗蜂的生物多样性，并估计主要谱系的分类群和分化时间之间的关系，以解决这些问题。作为该项目的一部分，至少有四名研究人员将接受培训，结果将产生一个修订的分类基础设施，一个健全的系统发育框架，以及修订和充分记录的物种概念，这些都是深入探索进化问题所必需的。物种描述和系统发育也将在万维网上使用最新的生物多样性信息标准和工具，以便科学家和非科学家都可以分享这一正在进行的发现。

Ensign wasps (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) develop as larvae and eat eggs within the egg cases of cockroaches. These wasps exhibit many fascinating biological attributes, including extreme variability in wing venation, the existence of unrelated forms that mimic one another in appearance, variable egg-laying behaviors, possible impacts on cockroach evolution, and the possible use as biocontrol agents of cockroach pests. Yet, until recently, Evaniidae have largely been neglected by biologists, due to an inadequate classification system and the absence of a robust phylogeny necessary to address evolutionary questions. This research is designed to tackle these problems by using data from DNA, morphology, and fossils to test species concepts, explore ensign wasp biodiversity, and to estimate relationships between taxa and divergence times of major lineages. At least four researchers will be trained as part of this project and the results will produce a revised taxonomic infrastructure, a robust phylogenetic framework, and the revised and well documented species concepts that are required for deeper exploration of evolutionary questions. The species descriptions and phylogenies will also be available on the World Wide Web using the latest biodiversity information standards and tools such that scientists and non-scientists alike can share in this ongoing discovery.