ESA Annual Meetings Online Program

0671 Phylogeny of Aphaenogaster species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reconstructed with morphological and DNA data

Monday, November 14, 2011: 8:39 AM
Room D6, First Floor (Reno-Sparks Convention Center)
Bernice B. DeMarco , Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Anthony Cognato , A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
The genus Aphaenogaster is comprised of 227 species worldwide, with 23 valid names listed as occurring in North America. These ants are abundant and ecologically important throughout much of the North American continent. They are large-scale predators of other arthropods and they are also important to many plants as seed dispersal agents. Many species live in dead wood and promote decomposition and nutrient cycling. Despite their abundance, there has not been a recent survey of the North American species. Also, there is no modern revision of Aphaenogaster and the last published key to the North American species was in Creighton (1950). I intend to revise Aphaenogaster species in a phylogenetic context using morphological characters of both workers and sexual forms, and DNA characters. An initial phylogeny of 20 North American Aphaenogaster species based morphology and 624 base pairs of the mitochondrial protein-coding gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) indicates a strong association of each species with region and habitat. Three southwestern species, formerly in the genus Novomessor, are monophyletic and are sister to Aphaenogaster confirming its generic status. The DNA sequences of A. fulva and A. umphreyi were distinct from A. rudis and thus COI has potential as a diagnostic marker in this species complex.

doi: 10.1603/ICE.2016.60029