中国马蜂亚科系统分类及其营巢特征研究

The Polistinae, a group of paper wasps, are the second most speciose subfamily within the family Vespidae. They are eusocial wasps with diverse nest architectures and colony features. Because of their pugnacious defense of nests and because their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable hazard in some special cases. Paper wasps feed on other insects, including pests, especially caterpillars. Potentially they may cause trouble to apiculture, tussah industry. However, most paper wasps are a critically important part of natural biocontrol due to their predatory biology, contributing a great deal in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in which they occur. Their relatively small colonies are readily observed and manipulated, therefore, paper wasps represent a unique system to study kin selection, and important in understanding the evolution of sociality. Despite considerable species richness, and the scientific interest in social wasps in general and polistines in particular, they have been poorly studied in China. Up to date, there are more than 40 species of Polistinae recorded from China, but the taxonomy is far from satisfactory, with many species and subspecies separated only by colour in the keys from China, and the group has certainly not received sufficient study. The research on immature stages and detailed morphology and phylogeny in China is still rudimentary. The main purpose of this project is to study on the morphological characters of all stages (including adult, male and female reproductive system, sperm, immature stages, etc.) of the Polistinae by research methods such as anatomical dissection, electron scaning microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), molecular DNA techniques, etc. In addition, the nest architecture and colony features should be studied to find intra-specific differences. The intra-specific variation of adults needs to be studied and new characters should be found to improve the phylogenetic analyses of the Polistinae and to revise the classification of the species from China comprehensively; to supply new keys to all taxa in China, mainly based on morphological characters; to make a phylogenetic analysis by combining morphological and molecular characters to discover the natural relationships. The research results be of significance for these areas, such as solving phylogenetic problems in the family Vespidae, prevention and control of "killer wasps", and biocontrol of pests.

马蜂亚科Polistinae隶属膜翅目胡蜂科，是典型的真社会性昆虫。马蜂螫刺可造成人类不适甚至死亡，却又是防治农林害虫最好的捕食性天敌之一，是昆虫社会性进化理想的研究材料。然而，目前我国马蜂亚科昆虫分类研究严重不足，分种标准模糊，种类识别困难，系统发育关系不明，影响了对马蜂的防治和利用。本项目拟采用全虫态显微和超微形态学的研究方法，明确形态学分类特征，结合营巢特征比较以及多基因分子数据分析，系统厘定我国马蜂亚科昆虫种类及其分布，并解析系统发育关系，重建以形态学特征为主要依据的检索系统。该项目的开展为最终解决胡蜂科系统发育奠定基础，同时，对袭人胡蜂的防控、重要农林害虫的持续控制工作，具有重要的指导意义。

马蜂亚科Polistinae是膜翅目Hymenoptera胡蜂科Vespidae中第二大科，是最常见的、具有多种营巢行为的真社会性胡蜂类群，一定程度上会影响人居环境安全、柞蚕养殖、蜜蜂养殖和果树，又是防治体大型农林害虫最好的捕食性天敌昆虫，还是昆虫亲缘选择和社会性进化理想的研究材料。然而与国外研究相比，我国胡蜂科分类研究少，且研究水平偏低，已知种类统计不全，所采用的分类系统早已过时，分种时多采用颜色区分，给生产实践中的鉴定和应用带来很大困难。在项目基金的支持下，课题组在全国多地进行标本采集和补充调查，研究了国内外大量标本（包括模式标本），制作膜翅目扦插标本10000余号，还有大量酒精浸渍标本，编制了以形态学特征为主的中国马蜂亚科各类群图式分种检索表，开展了部分形态学研究和近似种分子特征的获取工作，并在国内外开展了充分的研究合作。通过研究，我国马蜂亚科及其相关类群的研究取得了一定进展，发表或合作发表相关论文11篇（其中SCI期刊8篇），出版研究专著1部，申请发明专利和实用新型专利各1项（已通过公告），目前该类群的分类水平与国际水平基本接轨，项目取得的部分成果已直接用于我国袭人胡蜂的防控指导，同时，也为进一步解决胡蜂科系统发育奠定基础。