Aphaenogaster ichnusa santschi, 1925, bona species, and redescription of aphaenogaster subterranea (latreille, 1798) (hymenoptera, formicidae)

Christophe Galkowski, C. Aubert, R. Blatrix

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Morphological and molecular investigation conducted in France and the Tyrrhenian islands reveal that Aphaenogaster subterranea is composed of two distinct species. We propose to raise A. subterranea var. ichnusa Santschi, 1925, described from Sardinia, to the species status, A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925 stat. nov. This species differs from A. subterranea by having shorter propodeal spines and a less sculptured cuticle. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial marker COI shows that the two species form well separated clades, with a genetic distance (K2p) of 9.8 %. In the studied area, the two species are parapatric, A. ichnusa occurring in Sardinia, Corsica and the Mediterranean area of continental France, and A. subterranea occurring north of this area. We propose a redescription of both species and designation of a neotype for A. subterranea.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)420-425
Number of pages6
JournalSociobiology
Volume66
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Ant taxonomy
  • COI
  • Corsica
  • DNA barcode
  • Sardinia
  • Western Palearctic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Insect Science

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