Phylogeny of the New World Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polistinae, Polistes, Aphanilopterus) Based on Combined Morphological, Molecular and Behavioral Evidence

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A grant has been awarded to Dr. Kurt M. Pickett of the American Museum of Natural History for the study of behaviorally important wasps in the genus Polistes, or common paper wasps. Within Polistes, the New World species form a lineage of 119 species, many of which have been the basis for the empirical and theoretical study of social behavior. While many of these theories have been devised with paper wasps in mind, their applicability extends well beyond wasps. Because many of these theories posit the sequence of behavioral evolution through time, fully understanding the evolution of social behavior in paper wasps requires the evolutionary tree of the species. Based on molecular, anatomical and behavioral evidence, Dr. Pickett and co-workers will produce a robust evolutionary hypothesis for this group. This hypothesis will clarify not only the evolution of a diversity of behaviors, but also the taxonomy of the group. The project will produce a series of scientific articles relating to the evolution of social behavior and the taxonomy of the group, including identification keys to the species. All data, illustrations and articles will be disseminated via the World Wide Web. The products of this project will enrich the community in many ways. Traditional and interactive keys to the species will be of broad use by applied entomologists and environmental consultants as well as the research community. The project will train three undergraduate students in advanced molecular techniques and preparation of digital archives of anatomical variation. One intern will receive extensive training over 2 years, and will attend a scientific congress at which she will report her work to the scientific community. The project will also create new content for the OLogy website related to the proposed research. OLogy (http:// ology.amnh.org/) is a free, science-rich website designed for learners aged 7 and up to spark innate curiosity about the natural world. Developed entirely in-house at the American Museum of Natural History by teams of educational technologists, writers, programmers, designers and scientists, OLogy takes advantage of the Museum's collections, scientists, and outreach capacity to provide standards- based science educational content to children at home, educators in schools, and the general public in libraries.