Analysis of RNA-Seq, DNA Target Enrichment, and Sanger Nucleotide Sequence Data Resolves Deep Splits in the Phylogeny of Cuckoo Wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae)
Author(s)
Date Issued
2021
Type
article
Volume
5
Issue
1
Start Page
1
End Page
14
Journal
Abstract
The wasp family Chrysididae (cuckoo wasps, gold wasps) comprises exclusively parasitoid and kleptoparasitic
species, many of which feature a stunning iridescent coloration and phenotypic adaptations to their parasitic
life style. Previous attempts to infer phylogenetic relationships among the family’s major lineages (subfamilies,
tribes, genera) based on Sanger sequence data were insufficient to statistically resolve the monophyly and
the phylogenetic position of the subfamily Amiseginae and the phylogenetic relationships among the tribes
Allocoeliini, Chrysidini, Elampini, and Parnopini (Chrysidinae). Here, we present a phylogeny inferred from nucleotide
sequence data of 492 nuclear single-copy genes (230,915 aligned amino acid sites) from 94 species of
Chrysidoidea (representing Bethylidae, Chrysididae, Dryinidae, Plumariidae) and 45 outgroup species by combining
RNA-seq and DNA target enrichment data. We find support for Amiseginae being more closely related
to Cleptinae than to Chrysidinae. Furthermore, we find strong support for Allocoeliini being the sister lineage
of all remaining Chrysidinae, whereas Elampini represent the sister lineage of Chrysidini and Parnopini. Our
study corroborates results from a recent phylogenomic investigation, which revealed Chrysidoidea as likely
paraphyletic.