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

船旗蜂（Hyattera：Evaniidae）发育为幼虫，吃蟑螂卵壳内的卵。这些黄蜂表现出许多迷人的生物学属性，包括翅脉的极端变化，存在不相关的形式，在外观上相互模仿，可变的产卵行为，对蟑螂进化的可能影响，以及可能用作蟑螂害虫的生物控制剂。然而，直到最近，Evaniidae在很大程度上被生物学家忽视，由于不适当的分类系统和缺乏解决进化问题所必需的强大的系统发育。本研究旨在通过使用DNA，形态学和化石数据来测试物种概念，探索旗蜂生物多样性，并估计主要谱系的分类群和分歧时间之间的关系来解决这些问题。作为该项目的一部分，至少有四名研究人员将接受培训，其结果将产生一个修订的分类基础设施，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和记录良好的物种概念。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说明和物种起源，以便科学家和非科学家都能分享这一不断发现的成果。

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.