Dissertation Research: Pteromalid Phylogeny and the Diversification of Parasitic Chalcid Wasps

马里兰大学的Charles Mitter博士和Christopher Desjardins先生获得了一笔拨款，用于研究一组被称为翼蜂的寄生蜂的分类和进化历史。蝶蛾属于一个生物多样性和经济上重要的寄生性类群，被称为蝶蛾，其中包括超过20,000个已描述的物种。然而，目前对拟寄生蜂的进化关系了解甚少，尤其是对翼虫的进化关系。在这项研究中，我们试图通过解剖特征和DNA序列来重建翼蛾和相关的胆蛾类的进化关系，从而推进拟寄生虫分类的状态。由于先前使用其他基因的尝试未能解决问题，因此将研究三个以前未在这些黄蜂中检测过但可能对黄蜂分类有很大用处的核基因。此外，以前神秘的翼蜂亚群，被称为diparines，将被更详细地重新分类，使全世界的昆虫学家能够识别这些黄蜂。寄生蜂是一种微小的昆虫，捕食其他昆虫的未成熟阶段，包括许多害虫。它们是陆地生物多样性的主要特征，可能有几十万种。它们对无害环境的农业也至关重要，往往能够控制农业害虫，从而减少或消除对杀虫剂的需求。每年，寄生蜂控制各种作物的害虫，如德克萨斯州的牧场草和非洲的木薯，从而节省了数亿美元。对拟寄生蜂进行系统发育分类，根据其进化亲缘程度对其进行分组，这对于理解巨大的拟寄生蜂多样性是如何产生的至关重要；对这些黄蜂的各种生态学、生理学和行为的现有知识进行整理；并允许智能预测哪些物种是对特定害虫最有希望的生物控制剂。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Charles Mitter and Mr. Christopher Desjardins of the University of Maryland to study the classification and evolutionary history of a group of parasitoid wasps known as the pteromalids. Pteromalids belong to a biologically diverse and economically important parasitoid group known as the chalcidoids, which include over 20,000 described species. At present, however, evolutionary relationships are very poorly understood for parasitoid wasps generally and for pteromalids in particular. In this study we seek to advance the state of parasitoid classification by using both anatomical characteristics and DNA sequences to reconstruct evolutionary relationships in pteromalids and related chalcidoids. As previous attempts using other genes have not solved the problem, three nuclear genes not previously examined in these wasps, but potentially of great utility for wasp classification, will be studied. In addition, a previously enigmatic subset of pteromalids, known as the diparines, will be reclassified in more detail, enabling entomologists worldwide to identify these wasps.Parasitoid wasps are minute insects that prey on immature stages of other insects, including many pests. They are a dominant feature of terrestrial biodiversity, possibly numbering several hundred thousand species. They are also critical to environmentally sound agriculture, often providing control of agricultural pests that reduces or eliminates the need for insecticides. Hundreds of millions of dollars are saved annually by parasitoid wasps controlling pests of crops as varied as range grass in Texas and cassava in Africa. A phylogenetic classification of parasitoid wasps, in which species are grouped by their degree of evolutionary relatedness, will be essential for understanding how the great diversity of parasitoids has arisen; for organizing current knowledge of the varied ecology, physiology, and behavior of these wasps; and for allowing intelligent prediction of which species are the most promising biological control agents for a given pest.