Abstract
Social wasps are potentially valuable pest-controllers in agroecosystems as key predators of insect pest. Social wasps forage and nest in agri-environments. They are one of the main predatory insects of agricultural pests, in particular lepidopterans, aphids and flies. Social wasp biology makes them well suited for dealing with outbreaks of pests as they return repeatedly to feeding sites. Yet, although their potential for biocontrol was first noted over 100 years ago, social wasps remain under-exploited as biocontrol agents. This project will use next generation sequencing and ecosystem modelling to determine the economic value of wasps in agricultural and natural habitats.
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