Globally there is increasing awareness and frequent debate in the recent decades on policy options and operational strategies towards ensuring a fair balance between productivity and sustainability in agro-enterprises. No doubt, we owe a great deal to Ms. Rachel Carson for her famous book–Silent Spring–which pointed out the hazards caused due to indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides and the urgent need for ensuring harmony between utilising new scientific knowledge on insectsuppressing molecules versus the wisdom of restricting their use to ensure ecological safety and so protect the native beneficial agro-biodiversity. Currently, the developing world is caught up in the dilemma of maximising agricultural production to feed the millions versus ensuring that the higher crop productivity initiatives do not shake the foundations of sustainable farming ecosystems. It is in this context that conservation and augmentation of biological control agents gain greater attention and emphasis due to their potential as more eco-friendly and highly consumersafe pest management intervention strategies. Amongst the major entomophagous natural enemies, especially of Lepidopteran pests, egg parasitoids can play a special role in preventive control by suppressing the pest before it reaches the destructive (larval) stage.

This book seeks to capture the R&D efforts undertaken on egg parasitoids during the last century in the tropics, mainly in Asia. Different aspects of documentation and utilisation of Trichogrammatids, which are apparently the most widely used biocontrol agent at global level, are covered in most chapters, while one chapter is exclusively devoted to cover the other families of egg parasitoids. It is our sincere hope that this book is able to cater to the research knowledge and methodology information needs of young scientists and upcoming research students interested in R&D on egg parasitoids. The authors of the individual chapters deserve our sincere appreciations, not only for their sustained interest but also for their keen sense of contribution and their patience in updating their chapters. This book has indeed gone through several stages/steps with significant editorial advice from several dynamic research colleagues. It gives us a great sense of satisfaction and fulfilment to have been able to avail our long and diverse research experiences and contacts in compiling the chapters and in coediting this book. We are also grateful for the