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

少尉黄蜂(膜翅目：伊凡尼科)作为幼虫发育，在蟑螂的卵箱中取食卵。这些黄蜂表现出许多令人着迷的生物学特征，包括翅膀脉络的极端变异性，外观上相互模仿的无关形式的存在，可变的产卵行为，可能对蟑螂进化的影响，以及可能用作蟑螂害虫的生防剂。然而，直到最近，伊凡尼科在很大程度上被生物学家忽视了，因为分类系统不完善，也没有必要的系统发育来解决进化问题。这项研究旨在通过使用来自DNA、形态和化石的数据来检验物种概念，探索旗蜂的生物多样性，并估计分类群与主要谱系的分歧时间之间的关系，从而解决这些问题。作为该项目的一部分，至少将对四名研究人员进行培训，其结果将产生一个修订的分类学基础设施、一个强大的系统发育框架，以及更深入地探索进化问题所需的修订的和有充分记录的物种概念。还将利用最新的生物多样性信息标准和工具在万维网上提供物种描述和系统发育图，以便科学家和非科学家都能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.