Parasitic Encyrtidae Wasps of Hawai'i I

This large family of parasitic wasps are found all over the world and can thrive in nearly every habitat. Encyrtidae encompasses approximately 455 genera, with over 3700 described species. The larvae are parasitoids and primarily prey upon Hemiptera (true bugs). Life history varies, as some species may attack host eggs, while others attack host larvae. Their parasitic nature makes them a key biological control agent species by keeping other insect group's numbers "in check". A notable phenomenon exhibited by some species is the clonal multiplication of a single egg into multiple identical adults within the host. "Polyembryony" produces both uniform and large sized larvae, the latter of which serve as "soldiers", attacking foreign wasp larvae already within the host and dying before reproducing. Please help transcribe the UHIM's Encyrtidae wasp collection in order to better help us understand their distribution and impact in Hawai'i.This expedition of 527 tasks is fully transcribed and validated. This data resource is harvested periodically into the main occurrence index.