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Hernández-Teixidor D, Cussigh A, Suárez D, García J, Scheffrahn RH, Luchetti A. Molecular analyses of the Kalotermes dispar-complex (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) from the Canary Islands reveal cryptic intraspecific divergence and a connection to a lone Nearctic congener. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2024; 24:6. [PMID: 38989844 PMCID: PMC11237993 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieae072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The Canary Islands is a Macaronesian volcanic archipelago with a depauperate community of three species of Kalotermitidae, including Kalotermes dispar. A total of 54 Kalotermes colonies were collected from Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, and El Hierro islands. Soldiers and imagos were morphologically examined and sequenced for four mitochondrial markers. Although morphological differences could not be detected, phylogenetic analysis of both cox1/tRNA/cox2 and rrnL markers revealed two distinct clades of K. dispar, suggesting cryptic diversity. The diversification within the Canary Kalotermes lineage most likely occurred around 7.5 Mya, while the divergence within the two clades was reconstructed at about 3.6 Mya and 1.9 Mya. Kalotermes approximatus from the southeastern Nearctic constitutes a sister to the Canary Kalotermes, while the Palearctic K. flavicollis, K. italicus, and K. phoenicae form a separate clade. It is hypothesized that a faunal exchange of Kalotermes from the Nearctic to the Canary Islands occurred via transoceanic rafting during the mid-Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hernández-Teixidor
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), 38206 La Laguna, Spain
- Grupo de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Tenerife (GIET), 38108 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Alex Cussigh
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniel Suárez
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), 38206 La Laguna, Spain
- Grupo de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Tenerife (GIET), 38108 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier García
- Grupo de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Tenerife (GIET), 38108 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Rudolf H Scheffrahn
- Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, USA
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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Forni G, Cussigh A, Brock PD, Jones BR, Nicolini F, Martelossi J, Luchetti A, Mantovani B. Taxonomic revision of the Australian stick insect genus Candovia (Phasmida: Necrosciinae): insight from molecular systematics and species-delimitation approaches. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The Phasmida genus Candovia comprises nine traditionally recognized species, all endemic to Australia. In this study, Candovia diversity is explored through molecular species-delimitation analyses using the COIFol gene fragment and phylogenetic inferences leveraging seven additional mitochondrial and nuclear loci. Molecular results were integrated with morphological observations, leading us to confirm the already described species and to the delineation of several new taxa and of the new genus Paracandovia. New Candovia species from various parts of Queensland and New South Wales are described and illustrated (C. alata sp. nov., C. byfieldensis sp. nov., C. dalgleishae sp. nov., C. eungellensis sp. nov., C. karasi sp. nov., C. koensi sp. nov. andC. wollumbinensis sp. nov.). New combinations are proposed and species removed from synonymy with the erection of the new genus Paracandovia (P. cercata stat. rev., comb. nov., P. longipes stat. rev., comb. nov., P. pallida comb. nov., P. peridromes comb. nov., P. tenera stat. rev., comb. nov.). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the egg capitulum may have independently evolved multiple times throughout the evolutionary history of these insects. Furthermore, two newly described species represent the first taxa with fully developed wings in this previously considered apterous clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giobbe Forni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan , Milano , Italy
| | - Alex Cussigh
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan , Milano , Italy
| | - Paul D Brock
- The Natural History Museum , Cromwell Road, London , UK
| | - Braxton R Jones
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney NSW 2006 , Australia
| | - Filippo Nicolini
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Jacopo Martelossi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Barbara Mantovani
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
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de Oliveira MH, Viana-Junior AB, Rolim MDSL, Eloi I, Andrade MRDL, de Souza JJLL, Bezerra-Gusmão MA. The Impact of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) Termites on Semiarid Ecosystems in Brazil: A Review of Current Research. INSECTS 2022; 13:704. [PMID: 36005329 PMCID: PMC9409220 DOI: 10.3390/insects13080704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Termites have global distributions and play important roles in most ecosystems, often with high nest densities and interesting associations with other organisms. Constrictotermes cyphergaster, is a termite endemic to South America, widely distributed and very conspicuous, and has therefore been considered a good model for filling in gaps in general termite ecology and their relationships with other organisms (e.g., termitophily). A systematic review (content and bibliometric analyses) was used to gather all published scientific knowledge related to C. cyphergaster as well as to observe trends, verify gaps, and direct new perspectives for future studies of this species. We identified 54 studies, of which more than 50% were published in the last five years (28 articles). The majority of the articles investigated the relationships between C. cyphergaster and macroorganisms (44.4%), followed by specific aspects of its biology (25.9%). The collaboration network revealed that links between researchers are still limited and modular, but trending topics have changed over time. Additionally, there are differences in the aims of the studies being carried out in the Caatinga and Cerrado domains, with some information focusing only on one of those environments. Our results show that some gaps in the biology and ecology of C. cyphergaster remain to be explored, although collaborative efforts between researchers open opportunities for suggesting future studies that would make relevant contributions to the general knowledge of termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Herculano de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, PB, Brazil
| | - Arleu Barbosa Viana-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Invertebrados, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução, Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Belem 66077-530, PA, Brazil
| | - Maria do Socorro Lacerda Rolim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, PB, Brazil
| | - Igor Eloi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicobiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Avany Bezerra-Gusmão
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, PB, Brazil
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