Data from: Phylogenomic insights into the evolution of stinging wasps and the origins of ants and bees

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 data set 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.

针蜂类（膜翅目：针尾亚目 Hymenoptera: Aculeata）是膜翅目昆虫中极为多样的演化支系，已描述物种逾7万种，且兼具丰富的生活史特征，涵盖外寄生、盗寄生、捕食、花粉取食（蜂类[Anthophila]与马索亚蜂亚科Masarinae）以及真社会性（社会性胡蜂、蚂蚁及部分蜂类）[1]。针尾亚目（Aculeata）中研究最为深入的类群，是在多数陆地生态系统中占据生态主导地位的蚂蚁[2]，以及作为被子植物传粉昆虫最重要类群的蜂类[3]。阐明蚂蚁与蜂类的系统发育亲缘关系，有助于理解并重构社会演化模式，同时充分认知从肉食性向花粉取食（食粉性）转变的生物学意义。尽管针尾亚目系统发育研究近年来取得了诸多进展[4–11]，但其内部高阶类群关系仍存在大量不确定性，包括蚂蚁与蜂类的系统发育亲缘关系[5–7]。本研究采用超保守元件（UCE, ultraconserved element）系统发育组学方法[7,12]解析针蜂类各科间的系统发育关系，共采集了超过800个UCE位点的序列数据，涉及187个样本，涵盖31个针尾亚目科中的30个。我们采用多种分析方法对该187个分类单元的数据集开展分析，并评估了多套备选分类群组合；同时针对蚂蚁与蜂类的系统发育位置检验了多种备选假说。本研究结果构建了支持度极高的针蜂类系统发育树。尤为关键的是，我们获得了确凿证据：蚂蚁是蜂类与蜜蜂总科类群（Apoidea）的姊妹群，且蜂类嵌套于并系的泥蜂科（Crabronidae）内部。此外，我们证实，在系统发育组学推断中，分类群的选择会从根本上影响系统树的拓扑结构与支系支持度。