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

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.  CO1, combined with 5 nuclear protein-coding genes will help diagnose these species, especially those in the “rudis complex”.