Phylogeny of Halictidae with an emphasis on endemic African Halictinae

Abstract

-We review the literature on phylogeny, fossil record, biogeography, and social evolution in Halictidae. We then present a phylogenetic analysis of tribal, generic, and subgeneric relationships within the subfamily Halictinae using a combined data set of three nuclear genes: long-wavelength (LW) opsin, wingless, and EF-1α. The data set includes 89 species in 34 genera representing all four halictid subfamilies, and all tribes of the subfamily Halictinae. Our study provides several new insights into the phylogeny of the African Halictinae. First, our results support a close relationship between Mexalictus (a small genus of bees occurring at high elevations in the mountains of western North and Central America) and the African/Asian genus Patellapis. Second, our results support placement of the parasitic genus Parathrincostoma well within its host genus Thrinchostoma, suggesting that Parathrincostoma should be treated as a subgenus of Thrinchostoma. Finally, our data set provides strong support for the monophyly of Patellapis (sensu Michener, 2000) and establishes monophyletic groups within the African subgenera that could be the basis for future taxonomic studies.evolution / biogeography / bees / Apoidea

Photic niche invasions: phylogenetic history of the dim-light foraging augochlorine bees (Halictidae)

“…This finding is consistent with other studies examining predominantly diurnal bees (apids, megachilids, colletids and halictids), whereby the majority of mutations were at synonymous third codons (e.g. [7,34,35,48]). In augochlorines, only a handful of codon sites are under positive selection, as might be expected if point mutations result in spectral tuning of photopigment wavelength sensitivity.…”

Filogenia y clasificación taxonómica de los subgéneros de Augochloropsis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

“…16H) debidamente identificadas y dos morfotipos adicionales, con la finalidad de incluir en los análisis una mayor representación de la variación morfológica observada en el género (Cuadro 2). Como grupos externos se utilizaron los géneros Corynura Spinola, 1851, que ha sido considerado como un linaje basal de la tribu Augochlorini (Eickwort, 1969a;Engel, 2000;Danforth et al, 2008;Gonçalves, 2011Gonçalves, , 2016, Megalopta Smith, 1853 y Caenaugochlora (Michener, 1954), que de acuerdo con los datos morfológicos de Engel (2000) forman un grupo monofilético con Augochloropsis. Como grupo hermano se utilizó el género Pseudaugochlora Michener, 1954, que de acuerdo con los datos moleculares de Gonçalves (2011Gonçalves ( , 2016 y morfológicos de Santos (2014), es muy cercano a Augochloropsis.…”

Linking life history traits to pollinator loss in fragmented calcareous grasslands

“…However, we are aware that whereas sociality has probably arisen and lost again a few times independently within the halictids (Danforth 2002), cleptoparasitism probably evolved only once in the halictid species of this study. Halictid cuckoo bees all belong to the single genus Sphecodes which constitutes a monophyletic group with a cleptoparasitic common ancestor (Danforth et al 2008). Hence, the problem of phylogenetic non-independence may still remain for the comparison of cleptoparasites to nest-builders.…”

“…To avoid the phylogenetic relatedness we separately analyze the closely related species group of the bee family Halictidae where the responses of social and solitary bee species with similar body size can be compared. Even though the members of the family Halictidae constitute a monophyletic taxon, they represent very different life history traits regarding social behavior and breeding strategy (Danforth et al 2008). Social and solitary species occur as well as cleptoparasitic bees, thus allowing for a less phylogenetically biased analysis of trait-related responses to habitat fragmentation.…”