Exploring understudied fauna using systematics and presence-absence data; what can we learn from North American Monatractides (Hydrachnidiae, Torrenticolidae)?

Monday, November 16, 2015: 11:39 AM
212 AB (Convention Center)
Whitney Nelson , Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Ray Fisher , Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Joseph O'Neill , Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Danielle Fisher , Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Andrea Radwell , Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Ian Smith , Systemic Acarology, Biodiversity, Canadian National Collection of Insects and Arachnids, Environmental Health Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Ashley P. G. Dowling , Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Water mites are a cosmopolitan, diverse, and ecologically important group in freshwater

systems.  Despite this, they are often over-looked in freshwater research, and the

relationships between species diversity and geographic parameters are poorly understood

due to under-sampling and a lack of accurate taxonomic information.  One of these

groups is the water mite group Monatractides. Though thought to be relatively

widespread, the descriptions of Monatractides in North America have been limited, with

only 13 of the estimated 20-30 species currently described. To redress this and

complement taxonomic work, cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) DNA sequences

were used to explore monatractid diversity and compare assemblages across the sampled

areas.  In addition to offering us a firmer grasp on the diversity and distribution of North

American Monatractides, this study highlights the value of molecular approaches for

quantifying and comparing the diversity in under-studied and over-looked taxa.

See more of: 26 - Graduate Ten-Minute Paper Competition: SysEB - Dispersal, Colonization, and Biogeography
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