Despite being essential to both terrestrial ecosystems and agriculture, parasitic wasps remain one of the very least studied groups of insects. And although only a fraction of the actual number of species is described, they are also one of the largest. Systematically, there is much left to do in this group. New species can be discovered anywhere – even here outside of the Ecology building!
If this group seems intriguing to you, please keep reading! There are possibilities to do various master thesis projects on parasitic wasps and other insects, two of them are outlined here below. Please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have any questions!
Project 1: Wasp systematics
Even compared to other parasitic wasps, the jewel wasp family Eulophidae remains poorly studied. It is a large family (>5000 species) of small parasitic wasps, many beautifully metallic. The species complex Hemiptarsenus unguicellus in the subfamily Eulophinae is no exception. Several undescribed species most certainly hide within this complex! The aim of this project is to determine the status of this taxon.
This project will include both morphological and genetic work, and probably the discovery and description of new species.
Project 2: Seasonal variation in species composition
How does the diversity and composition of species change over the season? For many groups of
insects, this is poorly understood. This is particularly the case for less well-studied insects such as
parasitic wasps. With the help of malaise traps, we can catch flying insects over long periods of time in a standardised way.
For this project, there are many different possibilities – you can focus on either specific groups or have a broader perspective. It can be either based on morphology or more on genetics.
Contact:
Emma Kärrnäs, PhD student in Systematic Biology