diff --git a/openevolve/process_parallel.py b/openevolve/process_parallel.py
index 9c590dcd3..e35d351b9 100644
--- a/openevolve/process_parallel.py
+++ b/openevolve/process_parallel.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass, fields
 from numbers import Integral
 from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 from openevolve.config import Config
@@ -833,6 +834,16 @@ async def run_evolution(
                         parent_program = (
                             self.database.get(result.parent_id) if result.parent_id else None
                         )
+                        if parent_program is None and result.parent_id:
+                            # The parent can leave the archive (replaced in its MAP-Elites
+                            # cell) while its child is being evaluated. Trace the child
+                            # anyway, from the parent metrics the worker saw; its code is gone
+                            parent_program = SimpleNamespace(
+                                id=result.parent_id,
+                                code=None,
+                                metrics=child_program.metadata.get("parent_metrics") or {},
+                                changes_description=None,
+                            )
                         if parent_program:
                             # Determine island ID
                             island_id = child_program.metadata.get(
diff --git a/tests/test_controller_trace_logging.py b/tests/test_controller_trace_logging.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5152ee3bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_controller_trace_logging.py
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+"""
+Tests that the parallel controller writes every child to the evolution trace,
+including children whose parent left the archive while they were evaluated
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+import os
+import shutil
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+os.environ.setdefault("OPENAI_API_KEY", "test")
+
+from openevolve.config import Config
+from openevolve.database import Program, ProgramDatabase
+from openevolve.evolution_trace import EvolutionTracer
+from openevolve.process_parallel import ProcessParallelController, SerializableResult
+
+EVALUATOR_CODE = """
+def evaluate(program_path):
+    return {"combined_score": 0.5}
+"""
+
+
+def _future(result):
+    future = MagicMock()
+    future.done.return_value = True
+    future.result.return_value = result
+    return future
+
+
+def _child(iteration, parent_id):
+    return SerializableResult(
+        child_program_dict={
+            "id": f"child_{iteration}",
+            "code": f"def evolved_{iteration}(): return {iteration}",
+            "language": "python",
+            "parent_id": parent_id,
+            "generation": 1,
+            "metrics": {"combined_score": 0.7},
+            "iteration_found": iteration,
+            "metadata": {
+                "changes": "test",
+                "island": 0,
+                "parent_metrics": {"combined_score": 0.25},
+            },
+        },
+        parent_id=parent_id,
+        iteration_time=0.1,
+        iteration=iteration,
+        target_island=0,
+    )
+
+
+class TestControllerTraceLogging(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.test_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        self.eval_file = os.path.join(self.test_dir, "evaluator.py")
+        with open(self.eval_file, "w") as f:
+            f.write(EVALUATOR_CODE)
+
+        self.config = Config()
+        self.config.evaluator.parallel_evaluations = 1
+        self.config.evaluator.timeout = 10
+        self.config.database.num_islands = 1
+        self.config.database.in_memory = True
+
+        self.database = ProgramDatabase(self.config.database)
+        self.database.add(
+            Program(
+                id="seed",
+                code="def seed(): return 0",
+                language="python",
+                metrics={"combined_score": 0.5},
+                iteration_found=0,
+            )
+        )
+        self.trace_path = Path(self.test_dir) / "evolution_trace.jsonl"
+        self.tracer = EvolutionTracer(output_path=str(self.trace_path), buffer_size=1)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        shutil.rmtree(self.test_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+
+    def _run(self, results):
+        async def run_test():
+            controller = ProcessParallelController(
+                self.config, self.eval_file, self.database, evolution_tracer=self.tracer
+            )
+            with patch.object(
+                controller,
+                "_submit_iteration",
+                side_effect=lambda i, island: _future(results[i]),
+            ):
+                controller.start()
+                try:
+                    await controller.run_evolution(
+                        start_iteration=1, max_iterations=len(results), target_score=None
+                    )
+                finally:
+                    controller.stop()
+
+        asyncio.run(run_test())
+        self.tracer.close()
+
+    def _read(self, path):
+        with open(path) as f:
+            return [json.loads(line) for line in f if line.strip()]
+
+    def test_child_of_evicted_parent_is_traced(self):
+        # "evicted" was never in (or has left) the archive when the child comes back
+        self._run({1: _child(1, "evicted"), 2: _child(2, "seed")})
+
+        traced = {t["iteration"]: t for t in self._read(self.trace_path)}
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(traced), [1, 2])
+        self.assertEqual(traced[1]["parent_id"], "evicted")
+        self.assertEqual(traced[1]["parent_metrics"], {"combined_score": 0.25})
+        # A parent still in the archive is traced from the archive, as before
+        self.assertEqual(traced[2]["parent_metrics"], {"combined_score": 0.5})
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()