Evolutionary History of the Hymenoptera

Area of Science:

• Insect evolutionary biology
• Phylogenetics
• Molecular evolution

Background:

• Hymenoptera is a mega-diverse insect order crucial for terrestrial ecosystems.
• Understanding Hymenoptera's evolutionary history is key to insect diversification studies.
• Key transitions include phytophagy to parasitoidism and solitary to eusocial life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To infer the phylogeny and divergence times of major Hymenoptera lineages.
• To investigate evolutionary transitions within Hymenoptera.
• To establish a natural classification for Hymenoptera.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenetic analysis of 3,256 protein-coding genes from 173 insect species.
• Divergence time estimation using molecular data.
• Comparative genomic and morphological analyses.

Main Results:

• Hymenoptera diversification began approximately 281 million years ago.
• Sawflies and parasitoid wasps are monophyletic groups.
• Bees evolved within the apoid wasp family Crabronidae.
• Parasitoid wasps originated from a single ancestor around 247 million years ago.

Conclusions:

• Extant sawfly diversity stems from a major radiation of phytophagous Hymenoptera.
• This study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for Hymenoptera.
• Findings facilitate future comparative studies on Hymenoptera evolution and biology.