Telenomines are parasitoids of the eggs of other insects in the orders Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera,
Diptera, and Neuroptera. Some 800 species are presently recognized, but this probably represents at
most half of the true number. The existing classification is flawed in that it is based around two large,
paraphyletic taxa with numerous satellite genera. It was primarily developed by European and North
American workers in the 19th century and simply fails to adequately treat tropical species. My efforts to
address these problems have focused on the genus Trissolcus. This group contains many of
the more plesiomorphic members of the subfamily and by resolving the phylogenetic relationships among
its species, I hope to be able to provide a better basis for understanding the subfamily as a whole.
|
Telenomines are parasitoids of the eggs of other insects in the orders Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera,
Diptera, and Neuroptera. Some 800 species are presently recognized, but this probably represents at
most half of the true number. The existing classification is flawed in that it is based around two large,
paraphyletic taxa with numerous satellite genera. It was primarily developed by European and North
American workers in the 19th century and simply fails to adequately treat tropical species. My efforts to
address these problems have focused on the genus Trissolcus. This group contains many of
the more plesiomorphic members of the subfamily and by resolving the phylogenetic relationships among
its species, I hope to be able to provide a better basis for understanding the subfamily as a whole.