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Roskens, Violet A.

Biology

2010

MS

The vespid social wasps are a model group for studying the evolution of eusociality. However, a true test of an evolutionary model requires a phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic relationships of the Vespinae have received little attention, although the species within this group possess a high degree of eusocial characteristics, and unique biological divisions of labor. Because species in Vespinae are found in remote locations and will not tolerate laboratory conditions, a tested method for preserving proteins during field collection was required for proteomic investigations, Herein (1) a field collection method is developed and tested that preserves protein integrity and enzymatic activity in protein samples collected and stored in harsh field conditions for a maximum of three weeks; (2) the occurrence of a digestive division of labor within the colony is assessed for representative species of each genus by determining if trophallactic fluid from different colony members contains enzymes that functionally digested myosin; and (3) the first, extensive phylogenetic analysis ofVespinae using molecular sequence data is performed.