Molecular phylogeny and systematics of spider wasps ( H ymenoptera: P ompilidae): redefining subfamily boundaries and the origin of the family

Spider wasps ( H ymenoptera: P ompilidae) constitute a monophyletic family supported by numerous morphological and behavioural traits. The subfamilial and tribal classifications, however, have a history of conflicting and confusing designations and nomenclature. Here, we reconstruct a molecular phylogeny of P ompilidae from B ayesian and maximum‐likelihood analyses of four nuclear molecular markers (elongation factor‐1 α F2 copy, long‐wavelength rhodopsin, RNA polymerase II , and 28S ribosomal RNA ). A B ayesian divergence‐time estimation analysis was performed using four calibration points and an ancestral‐area reconstruction was performed with a B ayesian binary M arkov chain M onte C arlo method. New relationships are recovered, and new subfamilial delimitations are proposed and discussed based on the phylogeny. The origin of P ompilidae was c . 43.3 M ya, probably in the N earctic region. Most of the extant subfamilies originated from the late E ocene to the O ligocene, and their current distributions are the product of various dispersal events that occurred over the course of ∼40 M ya. This is the first phylogenetic reconstruction of Pompilidae from molecular characters, with broad geographical and taxonomic sampling. The following subfamilies and relationships are recognized: C tenocerinae + (( C eropalinae +  N otocyphinae) + ( P ompilinae +  P epsinae)). We revalidate N otocyphinae, which contains only N otocyphus , and define a new tribe in P ompilinae: S ericopompilini. P riochilini is reinstated. Sericopompilini contains S ericopompilus as the sole representative; Priochilini contains P riochilus and B alboana . E pipompilus and C hirodamus are now classified as Pepsinae. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London