Molecular (co)evolution of hymenopteran social parasites and their hosts

Abstract

Social parasitism describes a fascinating way of life in which species exploit the altruistic behaviour of closely related, social species. Social parasites have repeatedly evolved in the social Hymenoptera, including ants, bees, and wasps. The common ancestry and shared (social) environment with their hosts facilitates the study of molecular adaptations to the parasitic lifestyle. Moreover, when social parasites are widespread and virulent, they exert strong selection pressure on their hosts, leading to the evolution of defense mechanisms and triggering a coevolutionary arms race. Recent advances in sequencing technology now make it possible to study the molecular basis of this coevolutionary process. In addition to describing the latest developments, we highlight open research questions that could be tackled with genomic, transcriptomic, or epigenetic data.