Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the paper wasp genus Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): implications for the overwintering hypothesis of social evolution

摘要

The phylogeny of the paper wasp genus Polities is investigated using morphological and behavioural characters, as well as molecular data from six genes (C01, 12S, 16S, 285, H3, and EF1-alpha). The results are used to investigate the following evolutionary hypotheses about the genus: (i) that Polities first evolved in Southeast Asia, (ii) that dispersal to the New World occurred only once, and (iii) that long-term monogyny evolved as an adaptation to overwintering in a temperate climate. Optimization of distribution records on the recovered tree does not allow unambiguous reconstruction of the ancestral area of Polities. While the results indicate that Poiistes dispersed into the New World from Asia, South America is recovered as the ancestral area for all New World Polities: Nearctic species groups evolved multiple times from this South American stock. The final tree topology suggests strongly that the genus first arose in a tropical environment, refuting the idea of monogyny as an overwintering adaptation. (C) The Willi Hennig Society 2014.