Polistinae biogeography in the Neotropics: history and prospects

By

Carvalho, Antônio F.
Menezes, Rodolpho
Somavilla, Alexandre
Costa, Marco Antonio
Del Lama, Marco Antônio.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

42

Pages

93-105

Subjects

Biological richness , Ecology , Evolution , paper wasps , Speciation , species distribution

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/JHR.42.8754

 

Abstract

Discussions regarding Polistinae biogeography in the last two decades rarely associated current patterns of distribution with environmental changes. This well-known and very diverse group of insects is highly endemic in the Neotropics, but environmental factors influencing the enormous biological diversity in the region are not well established. Exploring evidence on the two main hypotheses concerning the origins and early colonization processes of paper wasps we position in favor of the Gondwanan hypothesis and discuss change-promoter processes in the Neotropics whose effects might have altered the distributions and facilitated the speciation of Polistinae in the region. Furthermore, based on recent advances in biogeography, mostly in the integration of ecological and evolutionary information, we highlight directions for future biogeographical research within the group.