Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the mining bee family Andrenidae

Authors: BOSSERT, SILAS - Smithsonian Institute; WOOD, THOMAS - University Of Mons-Hainaut; PATINY, SEBASTIEN - University Of Mons-Hainaut; MICHEZ, DENIS - University Of Mons-Hainaut; ALMEIDA, EDUARDO - Universidade De Sao Paulo; MINCKLEY, ROBERT - University Of Rochester; PACKER, LAURENCE - York University; NEFF, JOHN - Central Texas Melittological Institute; COPELAND, ROBERT - International Centre Of Insect Physiology And Ecology; STRAKA, JAKUB - Charles University, Czech Republic; PAULY, ALAIN - Royal Belgian Institute Of Natural Sciences (IRSNB/KBIN); Griswold, Terry; BRADY, SEAN - Smithsonian Institute; DANFORTH, BRYAN - Cornell University; MURRAY, ELIZABETH - Washington State University

Submitted to: Systematic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2021
Publication Date: 3/10/2022
Citation: Bossert, S., Wood, T.J., Patiny, S., Michez, D., Almeida, E.A., Minckley, R.L., Packer, L., Neff, J.L., Copeland, R.S., Straka, J., Pauly, A., Griswold, T.L., Brady, S.G., Danforth, B.N., Murray, E.A. 2022. Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the mining bee family Andrenidae. Systematic Entomology. 47(2):283-302. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12530.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12530

Interpretive Summary: Andrenidae is diverse group of ground-nesting, solitary bees with over 3,000 described species. They are found in nearly all parts of the globe. They are abundant pollinators in many natural and agricultural ecosystems. The evolutionary history of Andrenidae is poorly known and we still don't know much about their family tree, how old the group is, and what has shaped the rate of speciation for differ groups of these pollinators. Here, we reconstruct the family tree, estimate where and when they originated, and describe their rapid increase in species in the relatively recent geologic time. Our results have broad implications for understanding the tempo and mode of bee diversification.

Technical Abstract: The mining bees (Andrenidae) are a major bee family of over 3,000 described species and a nearly global distribution. They are a significant component of northern temperate ecosystems and are critical pollinators in natural and agricultural settings. Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, our knowledge on the evolutionary history of Andrenidae is sparse and insufficient to characterize their spatiotemporal origin and phylogenetic relationships. This limits our ability to understand the diversification dynamics that lead to the second most-speciose genus of all bees, Andrena. Here we develop a comprehensive genomic dataset of 195 species of Andrenidae, including all major lineages, to illuminate the evolutionary history of the family. Using fossil-informed divergence time estimates, we characterize macroevolutionary dynamics, incorporate paleoclimatic information, and embed our findings in the context of diversification rate estimates for all other bee tribes. We find that diversification rates of Andrenidae steeply increased over the past 15 million years, particularly in the genera Andrena and Perdita. Our results suggest that these two groups and the brood parasites of the genus Nomada (Apidae), which are the primary parasitic counterparts of Andrena, are all similar in age and represent the fastest-diversifying lineages of all bees. Using our newly developed timeframe of andrenid evolution, we estimate a late Cretaceous origin for the family in South America and reconstruct the past dispersal patterns that lead to their present-day distribution.