Coi DNA barcoding and phylogenetic relationships of wasps (hymenoptera: vespidae) from the Sundarbans, Bangladesh

Abstract

We studied the molecular identification and phylogenetic relationships of 7 Wasp species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) found in the mangrove ecosystem of the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh, using mitochondrial COI as a marker. Wasp specimens were collected from various locations throughout the Sundarbans and all 7 were successfully amplified via PCR using COI primers. Upon sequence analysis, the 7 Wasp COI sequences had a similarity to sequences in GenBank, ranging between 94.59 - 100%. Also, MEGA11 was used to generate the phylogenetic tree, which resulted in the grouping of wasps into Clade A (Vespa affinis, V. tropica, Rhynchium brunneum, R. quinquecinctum and Phimenes flavopictus) and Clade B (Polistes stigma and P. olivaceus). A very strong correlation was found between Bangladeshi populations of wasps and those from other regions (bootstrap support high). The phylogenetic analysis of these wasp species can be used to help identify these wasps. In constructing a Templeton-Crandall-Sing (TCS) haplotype network, we found that the 7 species of wasps were genetically distinct from one another, with  P. stigma being the most distantly related, separated by 68 mutation steps from all of the remaining wasp species. R. quinquecinctum and R. brunneum exhibited the largest genetic similarity, being separated from one another by only 14 and 19 mutation steps, respectively. Therefore, P. stigma appears to be the species that has experienced the most ecological adaptation, followed by the Vespa, Rhynchium, and Phimenes species. Overall, these findings contribute to the current understanding of wasp diversity in the Sundarbans. Nonetheless, broader sampling and integrative taxonomic approaches are required to fully characterize the wasp assemblage and its ecological significance in the mangrove ecosystem.

Bangladesh J. Zool. 54(2): 139-149, 2026