Phylogeographic analysis reveals high genetic structure with uniform phenotypes in the paper wasp Protonectarina sylveirae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Abstract

Swarm-founding wasps are endemic and common representatives of neotropical fauna and compose an interesting social tribe of vespids, presenting both complex social characteristics and uncommon traits for a eusocial group, such as the absence of castes with distinct morphology. The paper wasp Protonectarina sylveirae (Saussure) presents a broad distribution from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, occurring widespread in the Atlantic rainforest and arboreal Caatinga, being absent in the Amazon region. Given the peculiar distribution among swarm-founding wasps, an integrative approach to reconstruct the evolutionary history of P. sylveirae in a spatial-temporal framework was performed to investigate: the presence of genetic structure and its relationship with the geography, the evolution of distinct morphologic lineages and the possible historical event(s) in Neotropical region, which could explain the observed phylogeographic pattern. Individuals of P. sylveirae were obtained from populations of 16 areas throughout its distribution for DNA extraction and amplification of mitochondrial genes 12S, 16S and COI. Analysis of genetic diversity, construction of haplotype net, analysis of population structure and dating analysis of divergence time were performed. A morphometric analysis was also performed using 8 measures of the body of the adult (workers) to test if there are morphological distinction among populations. Thirty-five haplotypes were identified, most of them exclusively of a group and a high population structure was found. The possibility of genetic divergence because of isolation by distance was rejected. Morphological analysis pointed to a great uniformity in phenotypes, with only a small degree of differentiation between populations of south and the remaining. Divergence time analysis showed a Middle/Late Miocene origin, a period where an extensive marine ingression occurred in South America. Divergence of haplogroups began from the Plio/Pleistocene boundary and the last glacial maximum most likely modeled the current distribution of species, even though it was not the cause of genetic breaks.

Natural mortality factors of tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta in open‐field tomato crops in South America

“…This species builds very large and perennial arboreal nests and form colonies with large populations . In Brazil, the sites of open‐field tomato crops used here coincided with the occurrence of P. sylveirae colonies . At other sites or in other countries, different natural enemies and other environmental factors may play a role in T. absoluta population regulation …”

“…The physical characteristics of the plant can also affect foraging by natural enemies . The size, architecture, leaf area, and trichomes of the host plant (glandular and non‐glandular) may alter searching efficiency and capture of the pest by natural enemies.…”

Marimbondos: systematics, biogeography, and evolution of social behaviour of neotropical swarm‐founding wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Epiponini)

“…The “PCR Ready‐To‐Go Beads” (Amersham Biosciences) kit was used to perform PCR. The primers developed by Schulmeister et al (2002) were used to amplify the fragments of genes COI, 16S, 28S, and H3, whereas fragments of 12S were amplified using the primers developed by da Silva et al (2018). PCR products were purified using “GFX PCR DNA and Gel Band Purification” (Amersham Biosciences) kit.…”

Phylogenomics indicates Amazonia as the major source of Neotropical swarm-founding social wasp diversity

“…Polistine wasps are a highly diverse insect group in the Neotropics and have proven to be an excellent model for the study of social behaviour evolution because they show different degrees of caste differentiation [18]. These organisms also are useful for biogeographic investigations [19,20] because they are sensitive to climate changes [20,21] and geographical barriers [20,22]. Within Polistinae, swarm-founding social wasps (also called paper wasps) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae, Epiponini) are a monophyletic tribe of approximately 246 described species within 19 genera.…”