Relevance of the ecological traits of parasitoid wasps and nectariferous plants for conservation biological control: a hybrid meta-analysis.

Unlike earlier analyses focusing on taxonomic categories, we analyzed effect sizes in relation to the ecological traits of parasitoids and plants. This generated the first generalizable guidelines for selecting nectar plants as well as appropriate parasitoid targets for the enhancement of biological control. Within the guidelines, optimal outcomes resulted when plants with compound umbel or raceme inflorescences and shallow corollas were combined with fecund parasitoids. More widely, this type of ecological trait-based meta-analysis opens a new avenue for optimizing the delivery of other types of ecosystem services. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.