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Cryptic Diversity in the Widespread Asian Ant Crematogaster rothneyi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Inferred from Morphological and Genetic Evidence.

ABSTRACT: The myrmicine species Crematogaster rothneyi is one of the most widely distributed ants in Asia, but it has rarely been collected in the field. Its distribution range covers South and Southeast Asia, extending approximately 5,000 km from India in the west to Sulawesi in the east. Despite this wide distribution range, C. rothneyi has been treated as a single taxonomic species, and no combined morphological or molecular analysis has been conducted to assess whether any intraspecific variation exists. The sequence divergences of C. rothneyi populations, mainly obtained from Southeast Asia, were investigated by analyzing 387 bp and 175 bp sequences of the 12S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit (COI) genes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the C. rothneyi populations were separated into three groups: group I from Thailand and Cambodia, group II from Bangladesh and Myanmar, and group III from Krakatau and Sulawesi. Groups II and III were recovered as a single clade, sister to group I. The interspecific divergences were 7.3% to 8.5% for 12S and 14.5% to 23.3% for COI between most C. rothneyi specimens and Cambodian specimens, while divergence for 12S was 3.5% between Thai and Cambodian specimens. The Thai specimens are not morphologically differentiated, and are considered conspecific to C. rothneyi. We describe the Cambodian series as a new species, Crematogaster yaharai sp. nov., based on unique antennal morphology and mesosomal sculpture patterns with molecular evidence. Crematogaster rothneyi civa Forel, 1902 is synonymized under C. rothneyi. Crematogaster rothneyi is widespread and has sister species, suggesting recent diversification within the Indochinese Peninsula.

SUBMITTER: Hosoishi S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6778772 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cryptic Diversity in the Widespread Asian Ant Crematogaster rothneyi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Inferred from Morphological and Genetic Evidence.

Hosoishi Shingo S Ogata Kazuo K

Zoological studies 20190624

The myrmicine species Crematogaster rothneyi is one of the most widely distributed ants in Asia, but it has rarely been collected in the field. Its distribution range covers South and Southeast Asia, extending approximately 5,000 km from India in the west to Sulawesi in the east. Despite this wide distribution range, C. rothneyi has been treated as a single taxonomic species, and no combined morphological or molecular analysis has been conducted to assess whether any intraspecific ...[more]

PMID: 31966312

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Project description:In ants, dispersal strategies and morphology of female sexuals are generally linked to the mode of colony founding. In species using long-range dispersal tactics, queen/worker dimorphism is generally high and young queens are able to initiate new colonies by themselves, using their metabolic reserves. By contrast, in species using short-range dispersal strategies, queen/worker dimorphism is generally low and, due to their limited metabolic reserves, queens have lost the capacity to raise their brood alone and to found their colony independently. Moreover, polygyny is also often associated with short-range dispersal strategies, although the relationship between the number of queens and the dispersal strategy in ants is not clear-cut. Here, dispersal strategies were investigated in C. pygmaea, a highly polygynous and polydomous ant species from northeastern Brazil. Field observations and laboratory experiments show that this ant exhibits a suite of traits that are more commonly associated with long-range dispersal and independent colony foundation: functional wings in both males and females, high queen/worker dimorphism, strong weight loss in mature queens, nuptial flights and, in the lab, ability of young queens to found new colonies in haplometrotic conditions. On the other hand, this species shows a high degree of polygyny with a strong seasonal component, and, at least under laboratory conditions, mature queens seem able to develop propagules if they are accompanied by at least 10 workers. These features strongly suggest that (1) some of the gynes do not engage in a long-range dispersal but become new queens in their mother colony and (2) that budding events are possible in this species. We therefore speculate that C. pygmaea has a dual dispersal strategy probably related to environmental conditions: some gynes engage in long-range dispersal followed by independent colony foundation at the beginning of rainy season, while others mate in the parental colony and are re-adopted leading to high polygyny. During the rainy season, budding events can lead to colony extension and increased polydomy. Polydomy is commonly thought to improve resource discovery and exploitation through decentralized foraging behavior, a significant advantage during the rainy season when food ressources (mainly floral/extrafloral nectaries and hemipteran honeydew) are more abundant and when colony needs for food supplies are highest.

Project description:The fauna of the purely Australian formicine ant genus Melophorus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is revised. This project involved integrated morphological and molecular taxonomy using one mitochondrial gene (COI) and four nuclear genes (AA, H3, LR and Wg). Seven major clades were identified and are here designated as the M. aeneovirens, M. anderseni, M. biroi, M. fulvihirtus, M. ludius, M. majeri and M. potteri species-groups. Within these clades, smaller complexes of similar species were also identified and designated species-complexes. The M. ludius species-group was identified purely on molecular grounds, as the morphology of its members is indistinguishable from typical members of the M. biroi species-complex within the M. biroi species-group. Most species-complexes sampled were also found to be monophyletic. Sequencing generally supported monophyly in taxa sampled but some species of the M. fieldi complex and M. biroi were not monophyletic and the implications arising from this are discussed in this monograph. Based on morphology, ninety-three species are recognized, 73 described as new. A further new species (here called 'Species K' [TERC Collection]) is noted in the taxonomic list, but is not described in this work. One species is removed from Melophorus: M. scipio Forel is here placed provisionally in Prolasius. Six species and five subspecies pass into synonymy. Of the full species, M. constans Santschi, M. iridescens (Emery) and M. insularis Wheeler are synonymized under M. aeneovirens (Lowne), M. pillipes Santschi is synonymized under M. turneri Forel, M. marius Forel is synonymized under M. biroi Forel, and M. omniparens Forel is synonymized under M. wheeleri Forel. Of the subspecies, M. iridescens fraudatrix and M. iridescens froggatti Forel are synonymized under M. aeneovirens (Lowne), M. turneri aesopus Forel and M. turneri candidus Santschi are synonymized under M. turneri Forel and M. fieldi propinqua Viehmeyer is synonymized under M. biroi. Camponotus cowlei Froggatt is reinstated as a junior synonym of Melophorus bagoti Lubbock. In addition, the subspecies M. fieldi major Forel, M. ludius sulla Forel and M. turneri perthensis Forel are raised to species. A key to workers of the genus is supplied. A lectotype is designated for M. curtus Forel, M. sulla, and M. turneri.

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Cryptic Diversity in the Widespread Asian Ant Crematogaster rothneyi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Inferred from Morphological and Genetic Evidence.

Publications

Cryptic Diversity in the Widespread Asian Ant <i>Crematogaster rothneyi</i> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Inferred from Morphological and Genetic Evidence.

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