How Did Wasps Evolve?
WouterHundreds of thousands of wasp species live on earth. Some are predators while others are parasitoids. Most non-parasitic wasps use their sting to paralyze prey. They then carry the stung prey to their nest. They lay an egg on the prey and supply food to the developing offspring.
Some female wasps also work together to build a nest. They lay dozens to thousands of eggs. Some females even feed pollen to their offspring. Several species are parasitoids, laying eggs inside other insects. Some species are generalists, eat plants while others are omnivores.
In the past, researchers thought that bees evolved from ants. Some researchers even argued that ants evolved from wasps. But, new DNA sequences have allowed scientists to more accurately determine the evolutionary timeframes for these two groups. They have also shown that some wasps have a genetically distinct mitochondrial COI sequence.
These sequences allow scientists to better understand how bees and wasps evolved. Researchers have studied the evolution of three species of wasps. They discovered that they each evolved into three new species. They also calculated the diversification rates of these species. These rates suggested that bees diversified quickly. The researchers suggest that the intelligence of these wasps provided an advantage.
Scientists also studied the biodiversity of wasps across the food chain. They found that some wasp species, such as mud daubers, are the closest relatives to bees. They also showed that some wasps are parasitoids, laying eggs inside other insect species.
