01520nas a2200217 4500008004100000245016300041210006900204260001200273300001200285490000700297520077700304653003101081653001501112653001501127653002501142653001901167100002201186700001901208700002901227856004601256 2018 eng d00aDescription of Plagiolepis perperamus, a New Species from East-Mediterranean and Redescription of Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)0 aDescription of Plagiolepis perperamus a New Species from EastMed c11/2018 a809-8240 v683 a

A taxon considered in past years as P. pallescens sensu Radchenko is described as a new species: Plagiolepis perperamus sp. nov. based on material from Eastern Mediterranean. Its morphological separation from P. schmitzii Forel, 1895, the second species characterized by dense gaster setosity, is supported by study on their environmental niches. Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889 is redescribed based on type specimens and material collected from various localities spread within Balkans. Its taxonomical status is clarified and a definition of a ‘pallescens group' is improved and supplemented. Plagiolepis maura var. taurica Santschi, 1920 and Plagiolepis maura var. ancyrensis Santschi, 1920 are synonymized with Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889.

10aEcological niche modelling10aFormicidae10aFormicinae10aMediterranean Region10aPlagiolepidini1 aSalata, Sebastian1 aBorowiec, Lech1 aRadchenko, Alexander, G. uhttps://greekants.myspecies.info/node/57603048nas a2200313 4500008004100000245014500041210006900186260001500255300001200270490000800282520194800290653004302238653003102281653002202312653002502334653003002359653002802389100002502417700002002442700002002462700002302482700002102505700002502526700002102551700002402572700002302596700003202619856008302651 2018 eng d00aTurning one into five: Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evolution of cryptic species in the harvester ant Messor “structor”.0 aTurning one into five Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evol c2018-10-31 a387-4040 v1273 a

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.

10aAmplified fragment length polymorphism10aEcological niche modelling10aMitochondrial DNA10aSpecies delimitation10aTraditional morphometrics10aWolbachia endosymbionts1 aSteiner, Florian, M.1 aCsősz, Sándor1 aMarkó, Bálint1 aGamisch, Alexander1 aRinnhofer, Lukas1 aFolterbauer, Clemens1 aHammerle, Sarina1 aStauffer, Christian1 aArthofer, Wolfgang1 aSchlick-Steiner, Birgit, C. uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790317305523?via%3Dihub