A new megaspilid wasp from Eocene Baltic amber (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea), with notes on two non-ceraphronoid families: Radiophronidae and Stigmaphronidae

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Abstract

Ceraphronoids are some of the most commonly collected hymenopterans, yet they remain rare in the fossil record. Conostigmus talamasi Mikó and Trietsch, sp. nov. from Baltic amber represents an intermediate form between the type genus, Megaspilus, and one of the most species-rich megaspilid genera, Conostigmus. We describe the new species using 3D data collected with synchrotron-based micro-CT equipment. This non-invasive technique allows for quick data collection in unusually high resolution, revealing morphological traits that are otherwise obscured by the amber. In describing this new species, we revise the diagnostic characters for Ceraphronoidea and discuss possible reasons why minute wasps with a pterostigma are often misidentified as ceraphronoids. Based on the lack of ceraphronoid characteristics, we remove Dendrocerus dubitatus Brues, 1937, Stigmaphronidae, and Radiophronidae from Ceraphronoidea and consider them as incertae sedis. We also provide some guidance for their future classification.

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Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution of Stinging Wasps and the Origins of Ants and Bees.

Michael G Branstetter, Bryan N. Danforth, James Pitts … (2017)

The stinging wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) are an extremely diverse lineage of hymenopteran insects, encompassing over 70,000 described species and a diversity of life history traits, including ectoparasitism, cleptoparasitism, predation, pollen feeding (bees [Anthophila] and Masarinae), and eusociality (social vespid wasps, ants, and some bees) [1]. The most well-studied lineages of Aculeata are the ants, which are ecologically dominant in most terrestrial ecosystems [2], and the bees, the most important lineage of angiosperm-pollinating insects [3]. Establishing the phylogenetic affinities of ants and bees helps us understand and reconstruct patterns of social evolution as well as fully appreciate the biological implications of the switch from carnivory to pollen feeding (pollenivory). Despite recent advancements in aculeate phylogeny [4-11], considerable uncertainty remains regarding higher-level relationships within Aculeata, including the phylogenetic affinities of ants and bees [5-7]. We used ultraconserved element (UCE) phylogenomics [7, 12] to resolve relationships among stinging-wasp families, gathering sequence data from >800 UCE loci and 187 samples, including 30 out of 31 aculeate families. We analyzed the 187-taxon dataset using multiple analytical approaches, and we evaluated several alternative taxon sets. We also tested alternative hypotheses for the phylogenetic positions of ants and bees. Our results present a highly supported phylogeny of the stinging wasps. Most importantly, we find unequivocal evidence that ants are the sister group to bees+apoid wasps (Apoidea) and that bees are nested within a paraphyletic Crabronidae. We also demonstrate that taxon choice can fundamentally impact tree topology and clade support in phylogenomic inference.

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Evolution of the hymenopteran megaradiation.

Susanne Schulmeister, James Munro, Fredrik Ronquist … (2011)

The Hymenoptera--ants, bees and wasps--represent one of the most successful but least understood insect radiations. We present the first comprehensive molecular study spanning the entire order Hymenoptera. It is based on approximately 7 kb of DNA sequence from 4 gene regions (18S, 28S, COI and EF-1α) for 116 species representing all superfamilies and 23 outgroup taxa from eight orders of Holometabola. Results are drawn from both parsimony and statistical (Bayesian and likelihood) analyses, and from both by-eye and secondary-structure alignments. Our analyses provide the first firm molecular evidence for monophyly of the Vespina (Orussoidea+Apocrita). Within Vespina, our results indicate a sister-group relationship between Ichneumonoidea and Proctotrupomorpha, while the stinging wasps (Aculeata) are monophyletic and nested inside Evaniomorpha. In Proctotrupomorpha, our results provide evidence for a novel core clade of proctotrupoids, and support for the recently proposed Diaprioidea. An unexpected result is the support for monophyly of a clade of wood-boring sawflies (Xiphydrioidea+Siricoidea). As in previous molecular studies, Orussidae remain difficult to place and are either sister group to a monophyletic Apocrita, or the sister group of Stephanidae within Apocrita. Both results support a single origin of parasitism, but the latter would propose a controversial reversal in the evolution of the wasp-waist. Generally our results support earlier hypotheses, primarily based on morphology, for a basal grade of phytophagous families giving rise to a single clade of parasitic Hymenoptera, the Vespina, from which predatory, pollen-feeding, gall-forming and eusocial forms evolved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Embedding 3D models of biological specimens in PDF publications.

Bernhard Ruthensteiner, Martin Heß (2008)

By providing two examples, the option for embedding 3D models in electronic versions of life science publications is presented. These examples, presumably representing the first such models published, are developmental stages of an evertebrate (Patella caerulea, Mollusca) and a vertebrate species (Psetta maxima, Teleostei) obtained from histological section series reconstruction processed with the software package Amira. These surface rendering models are particularly suitable for a PDF file because they can easily be transformed to a file format required and components may be conveniently combined and hierarchically arranged. All methodological steps starting from specimen preparation until embedding of resulting models in PDF files with emphasis on conversion of Amira data to the appropriate 3D file format are explained. Usability of 3D models in PDF documents is exemplified and advantages over 2D illustrations are discussed, including better explanation capabilities for spatial arrangements, higher information contents, and limiting options for disguising results by authors. Possibilities for additional applications reaching far beyond the examples presented are suggested. Problems such as long-term compatibility of file format and hardware plus software, editing and embedding of files, file size and differences in information contents between printed and electronic version will likely be overcome by technical development and increasing tendency toward electronic at the cost of printed publications. Since 3D visualization plays an increasing role in manifold disciplines of science and appropriate tools for the popular PDF format are readily available, we propose routine application of this way of illustration in electronic life science papers.

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Author and article information

Contributors

István Mikó

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): PeerJ

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): PeerJ

Journal ID (publisher-id): peerj

Journal ID (pmc): peerj

Title: PeerJ

Publisher: PeerJ Inc. (San Francisco, USA )

ISSN (Electronic): 2167-8359

Publication date (Electronic): 8 August 2018

Publication date Collection: 2018

Volume: 6

Electronic Location Identifier: e5174

Affiliations

[1 ]Frost Entomological Museum, Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA, United States of America

[2 ]Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , Karlsruhe, Germany

[3 ]Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

Article

Publisher ID: 5174

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5174

PMC ID: 6103384

SO-VID: 5d852e3f-8988-43e6-908c-8a5612d695c4

License:

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.

History

Date received : 15 March 2018

Date accepted : 14 June 2018

Funding

Funded by: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Award ID: 05K2012 (UFO2)

Award ID: 05K2013 (ASTOR)

Award ID: 05K2016 (NOVA)

Funded by: US National Science Foundation

Award ID: DBI-1356381

Award ID: DEB-1353252

Research at KIT was partially funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) by grants 05K2012 (UFO2), 05K2013 (ASTOR) and 05K2016 (NOVA). This material is based upon work supported by the US National Science Foundation, under Grant Numbers DBI-1356381 and DEB-1353252. There was no additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

A new megaspilid wasp from Eocene Baltic amber (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea), with notes on two non-ceraphronoid families: Radiophronidae and Stigmaphronidae

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Abstract

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Hymenoptera

Most cited references 62

Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution of Stinging Wasps and the Origins of Ants and Bees.

Evolution of the hymenopteran megaradiation.

Embedding 3D models of biological specimens in PDF publications.

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