Cryptic diversity in the Mediterranean Temnothorax lichtensteini species complex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae)

Csősz, Sándor and Seifert, Bernhard and Müller, Benedikt and Trindl, Andreas and Schulz, Andreas and Heinze, Jürgen (2013) Cryptic diversity in the Mediterranean Temnothorax lichtensteini species complex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Organisms Diversity and Evolution. ISSN 1439-6092

Text csosz_etal_2013_ms_corrected.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

In this paper we provide insight into the cryptic diversity and biogeographic patterns of a widely distributed Mediterranean ant species, Temnothorax lichtensteini (Bondroit, 1918), based on evidences from multiple data sources. An exploratory analysis of morphometric data, combined with sequencing of a 658bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO I), indicates the existence of three distinct lineages. Divergence of two recognized genetic lineages, Western and Easten Mediterranean clusters, is not reliably supported by confirmatory analysis of morphological data. We hypothesize that this reflects incomplete speciation in separate glacial refugia and therefore discuss only biogeographic aspects of these two parapatric populations. However, the third, Peloponnese lineage is divergent in both morphology and CO I sequences and its separation from the other two lineages is convincingly confirmed. For this lineage we assume a completed speciation and describe the taxon formally as Temnothorax laconicus sp.n., the sister species of T. lichtensteini.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item