A phylogenetic revision of the Chrysis ignita species group (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) with emphasis on the northern European fauna
Date
2014-05-09
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Abstract
Eluslooduse mitmekesisuse kirjeldamine ja analüüsimine on loodusteaduste vanimaid ja olulisemaid ülesandeid, kuna vaid adekvaatsele teadmisele sellest saab toetuda edasine bioloogia alane uurimistöö või tõhus elurikkuse kaitse. Olgu uurimisteemaks loomade käitumine või taimede levik on tulemuste väärtus väike, kui puudub selgus selles osas millist organismi õigupoolest uuriti – vigu selles vallas esineb sagedamini kui võiks arvata.
Kuldherilased on küll kaunid herilastega suguluses olevad putukad, kuid oma väheldase kasvu tõttu ei ole nad pälvinud piisavalt tähelepanu. Enamgi veel, nende liikide uurimine on osutunud keerukaks tänu äravahetamiseni sarnasele välimusele. Kuna senised katsed kuldherilasi klassifitseerida on osutunud vaid osaliselt edukaks võtsin oma doktoritöös kasutusse tunnused, mida nende uurimisel ei ole varem rakendatud. Nimelt kasutan nende süstemaatika, st üksikisendite vaheliste sugulussidemete, kindlaks tegemisel erinevusi isendite pärilikkusaine ehk DNA järjestustes.
Kuigi kuldherilased on laia levikuga, keskendun ennekõike Põhja-Euroopa ja vähemal määral Euraasia liikidele. Seda ennekõike huvi tõttu meie loomastiku vastu. Et kindlaks teha nende liigiline koosseis P-Euroopas tuli üle kontrollida senised teadmised piirkonna kuldherilaste kohta ning ühtlasi läbi vaadata muuseumite kogud.
Mul õnnestus kindlaks teha ühe raskemini eristatavate kuldherilaste rühma põlvnemine ning eeskätt Põhja-Euroopa osas ka liigiline koosseis. Seejuures ilmnes, et mitmed liigid kas ei olnud varem omaette liikidena määratletud või olid sootuks tuvastamata jäänud. Kasutatav meetod osutus sobilikuks ka muidu raskesti eristatavate liikide tuvastamisel.
Taani, Fennoskandia ja Baltimaade kuldherilaste liigilise koosseisu osas tuli samuti olulisi korrektuure teha. Oli juhuseid, kus varem teatud liigi leidumine piirkonnas osutus veaks, samas kui mõne liigi leidumist sel alal ei olnud tuvastatudki.
Minu doktoritöö lahendas mitmed senised probleemid kõige raskemini eristatavate liikide käsitlustes meetodi abil, mida nende putukate süstemaatika uurimisel pole varem kasutatud. Koos Taani, Fennoskandia ja Baltimaade kuldherilaste liigilise koosseisu ülekontrollimise ja kaasajastamisega annab minu doktoritöö hea aluse kuldherilaste edasiseks uurimiseks.
Description and analysis of the diversity of wildlife is one of the oldest and most important tasks in natural sciences since any biological study or effective nature conservation can only rely on adequate knowledge of it. Weather one studies animal behavior or plant dispersal, the results have little meaning if there is no clear understanding which organism was actually studied: such mistakes are unfortunately not very rare. Although cuckoo wasps are beautiful relatives of yellowjackets, they have received insufficient attention due to their small size. Moreover, study of their species composition has proven difficult due to their highly similar appearance. As former attempts to classify them have turned out only partially successful I used in my thesis characters, which haven’t been used in systematic studies of these insects: differences in DNA sequences are used for determining relationships between individual specimens. Although the studied insects are widespread, I focus in my thesis on Eurasian, especially northern European species, due to high interest in fauna of this region. In order to examine the cuckoo wasp fauna in Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries, all existing faunistic knowledge as well as the collections in museums had to be revised. As a result of analysis the phylogeny and species composition, primarily in northern Europe, was determined for the cuckoo wasps group which species are most difficult to distinguish. It appeared that several species were earlier not treated as distinct species or had remained completely unrecognized. The used method was also suitable for identifying species, which are otherwise difficult to identify. Revision of cuckoo wasp fauna of Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries also revealed several deficiencies. In some occasions known occurrence of a species in this region proved to be erroneous while occurrence of few species in the region had not been discovered jet. My thesis resolved numerous problems in treatments of most complicated cuckoo wasp species with the help of method, which hadn’t been used in systematic studies of these insects. Together with the revision and update of the knowledge about cuckoo wasp fauna of Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries, my thesis generates solid basis for future studies of cuckoo wasps.
Description and analysis of the diversity of wildlife is one of the oldest and most important tasks in natural sciences since any biological study or effective nature conservation can only rely on adequate knowledge of it. Weather one studies animal behavior or plant dispersal, the results have little meaning if there is no clear understanding which organism was actually studied: such mistakes are unfortunately not very rare. Although cuckoo wasps are beautiful relatives of yellowjackets, they have received insufficient attention due to their small size. Moreover, study of their species composition has proven difficult due to their highly similar appearance. As former attempts to classify them have turned out only partially successful I used in my thesis characters, which haven’t been used in systematic studies of these insects: differences in DNA sequences are used for determining relationships between individual specimens. Although the studied insects are widespread, I focus in my thesis on Eurasian, especially northern European species, due to high interest in fauna of this region. In order to examine the cuckoo wasp fauna in Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries, all existing faunistic knowledge as well as the collections in museums had to be revised. As a result of analysis the phylogeny and species composition, primarily in northern Europe, was determined for the cuckoo wasps group which species are most difficult to distinguish. It appeared that several species were earlier not treated as distinct species or had remained completely unrecognized. The used method was also suitable for identifying species, which are otherwise difficult to identify. Revision of cuckoo wasp fauna of Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries also revealed several deficiencies. In some occasions known occurrence of a species in this region proved to be erroneous while occurrence of few species in the region had not been discovered jet. My thesis resolved numerous problems in treatments of most complicated cuckoo wasp species with the help of method, which hadn’t been used in systematic studies of these insects. Together with the revision and update of the knowledge about cuckoo wasp fauna of Denmark, Fennoscandia and Baltic countries, my thesis generates solid basis for future studies of cuckoo wasps.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.
Keywords
kuldherilased, fülogenees, liigiline koosseis, Põhja-Euroopa, Chrysididae, phylogeny, species composition, Northern Europe