Many cryptic species have been discovered in various taxonomic groups based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments. Some sympatric cryptic species share equivalent resources, which contradicts the competitive exclusion principle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the apparent lack of competitive exclusion, i.e. niche-based coexistence and neutral model, but a conclusive explanation is lacking. Here, we report the co-occurrence of cryptic spider wasp species appearing to be ecologically equivalent. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments revealed that three phylogenetically closely related species are found sympatrically in Japan. These species share the same resources for larval food, and two of the species have the same niche for nesting sites, indicating a lack of competitive exclusion. This evidence may suggest that ecologically equivalent species can co-occur stably if their shared resources are sufficiently abundant that they cannot be over-exploited.
A trap-nesting study provided the first documentation of brood parasitism in Dipogon nagasei and in D. iwatai. Dipogon nagasei was found to brood parasitize D. sperconsus, D. conspersus, D. inconspersus, and D. bifasciatus. Dipogon iwatai brood parasitized D. sperconsus, D. conspersus, D. romankovae, and Auplopus carbonarius. Both brood parasitic species are with the subgenus Nipponodipogon, whereas all five Dipogon hosts are in the subgenus Deuteragenia. Comparison of their ecological features revealed that brood parasitism in D. nagasei is considerably more derived than in D. iwatai. Of particular note is the fact that in D. nagasei the female routinely lays up to five eggs on a single host spider, all of which develop into adult wasps without larval cannibalism; almost all Pompilidae previously studied lay only one egg on a host spider.
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