@article {550, title = {Turning one into five: Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evolution of cryptic species in the harvester ant Messor {\textquotedblleft}structor{\textquotedblright}.}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {127}, year = {2018}, month = {2018-10-31}, pages = {387-404}, chapter = {387}, abstract = {

Seed harvesting ants are ecosystem engineers that shape vegetation, nutrient cycles, and microclimate. Progress in ecological research is, however, slowed down by poor species delimitation. For example, it has not been resolved to date, how many species the European harvester ant Messor \“structor\” (Latreille, 1798) represents. Since its first description, splitting into additional taxa was often proposed but not accepted later on due to inconsistent support from morphology and ecology. Here, we took an iterative integrative-taxonomy approach \– comparing multiple, independent data sets of the same sample \– and used traditional morphometrics, Wolbachia symbionts, mitochondrial DNA, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and ecological niche modelling. Using the complementarity of the data sets applied, we resolved multiple, strong disagreements over the number of species, ranging from four to ten, and the allocation of individuals to species. We consider most plausible a five-species hypothesis and conclude the taxonomic odyssey by redescribing Messor structor, M. ibericus Santschi, 1925, and M. muticus (Nylander, 1849) stat. rev., and by describing two new species, M. ponticus sp.n. and M. mcarthuri sp.n. The evolutionary explanations invoked in resolving the various data conflicts include pronounced morphological crypsis, incomplete lineage-sorting or ongoing cospeciation of endosymbionts, and peripatric speciation \– these ants\’ significance to evolutionary biology parallels that to ecology. The successful solution of this particular problem illustrates the usefulness of the integrative approach to other systematic problems of comparable complexity and the importance of understanding evolution to drawing correct conclusions on species\’ attributes, including their ecology and biogeography.

}, keywords = {Amplified fragment length polymorphism, Ecological niche modelling, Mitochondrial DNA, Species delimitation, Traditional morphometrics, Wolbachia endosymbionts}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.04.005}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790317305523?via\%3Dihub}, author = {Steiner, Florian M. and Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor and B{\'a}lint Mark{\'o} and Alexander Gamisch and Lukas Rinnhofer and Clemens Folterbauer and Sarina Hammerle and Christian Stauffer and Wolfgang Arthofer and Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C.} } @article {462, title = {Phylogeny of Lasius ants based on mitochondrial DNA and morphology, and the evolution of social parasitism in the Lasiini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {33}, year = {2004}, month = {Jan-12-2004}, pages = {595-614}, abstract = {

Phylogeny of ants of the tribe Lasiini (Lasius, Acanthomyops, Prenolepis, Euprenolepis, Paratrechina, Pseudolasius, and Myrmecocystus) was analysed using 81 morphological, ecological, and behavioural characters (for 41 species) and mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI, COII, tRNA-Leu; for 19 species). The free-living subgenus Lasius s. str. is paraphyletic with respect to the rest of genus; the traditional \“genus\” Acanthomyops should be considered a part of Lasius s. lat.; free-living subgenus Cautolasius is a member of the clade of socially parasitic Lasius ants (=Chtonolasius + Acanthomyops + Austrolasius + Dendrolasius). The tree topology is congruent with two alternative scenarios of origin of the temporary social parasitism: (i) a single origin of the parasitic strategy in a derived subclade of Lasius and a secondary loss of this trait in Cautolasius, (ii) a parallel origin of the social parasitism within the clade of hypogeic Lasius ants (in Chtonolasius, and in Acanthomyops + Dendrolasius + Austrolasius). Emery\’s rule in the strict sense does not apply to this group because most parasites exploit any ecologically available, even phylogenetically distant host species. The parasitic strategy in Lasius could have originated from the aggressive interactions between cofounding queens during pleometric colony founding and/or from the secondary queen adoption.

}, issn = {10557903}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2004.07.012}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1055790304002349}, author = {Janda, Milan and Folkov{\'a}, Dagmar and Zrzav{\'y}, Jan} }