Taxonomy and life history of Orasema minutissima (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) attacking the little red fire ant in the Caribbean

Orasema minutissima (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) has been proposed as a biological control agent of the Little Red Fire Ant, Wasmannia auropunctata. Our results suggest that there is some confusion of species boundaries and biological differences with the closely related species O.costaricensis and O.smithi. We examine differences between species using morphology, molecular markers and the distribution of the different species with their hosts. We examine in detail the biology of O.minutissima and its impact on its host, W.auropunctata, in Dominica.