skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Phylogenomic Species Delimitation, Taxonomy, and ‘Bird Guide’ Identification for the Neotropical Ant Genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Title: Phylogenomic Species Delimitation, Taxonomy, and ‘Bird Guide’ Identification for the Neotropical Ant Genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Abstract Rasopone Schmidt and Shattuck is a poorly known lineage of ants that live in Neotropical forests. Informed by phylogenetic results from thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and mitochondrial DNA barcodes, we revise the genus, providing a new morphological diagnosis and a species-level treatment. Analysis of UCE data from many Rasopone samples and select outgroups revealed non-monophyly of the genus. Monophyly of Rasopone was restored by transferring several species to the unrelated genus Mayaponera Schmidt and Shattuck. Within Rasopone, species are morphologically very similar, and we provide a ‘bird guide’ approach to identification rather than the traditional dichotomous key. Species are arranged by size in a table, along with geographic range and standard images. Additional diagnostic information is then provided in individual species accounts. We recognize a total of 15 named species, of which the following are described as new species: R. costaricensis, R. cryptergates, R. cubitalis, R. guatemalensis, R. mesoamericana, R. pluviselva, R. politognatha, R. subcubitalis, and R. titanis. An additional 12 morphospecies are described but not formally named due to insufficient material. Rasopone panamensis (Forel, 1899) is removed from synonymy and elevated to species. The following species are removed from Rasopone and made new combinations in Mayaponera: M. arhuaca (Forel, 1901), M. becculata (Mackay and Mackay, 2010), M. cernua (Mackay and Mackay, 2010), M. conicula (Mackay and Mackay, 2010), M. longidentata (Mackay and Mackay, 2010), and M. pergandei (Forel, 1909).  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1932405
PAR ID:
10172095
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Insect Systematics and Diversity
Volume:
4
Issue:
2
ISSN:
2399-3421
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; (, Insect Systematics and Diversity)
    Sosa-Calvo, Jeffrey (Ed.)
    Abstract The genus Cryptopone Emery contains 25 species of litter and soil ants, 5 of which occur in the Americas. Cryptopone gilva (Roger) occurs in the southeastern United States and cloud forests of Mesoamerica, exhibiting an uncommon biogeographic disjunction observed most often in plants. We used phylogenomic data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs), as well as mitogenomes and legacy markers, to investigate phylogenetic relationships, species boundaries, and divergence dates among New World Cryptopone. Species delimitation was conducted using a standard approach and then tested using model-based molecular methods (SNAPP, BPP, SODA, and bPTP). We found that Cryptopone as currently constituted is polyphyletic, and that all the South American species belong to Wadeura Weber, a separate genus unrelated to Cryptopone. A single clade of true Cryptopone occurs in the Americas, restricted to North and Central America. This clade is composed of four species that originated ~4.2 million years ago. One species from the mountains of Guatemala is sister to the other three, favoring a vicariance hypothesis of diversification. The taxonomy of the New World Cryptopone and Wadeura is revised. Taxonomic changes are as follows: Wadeura Weber is resurrected, with new combinations W. guianensis Weber, W. holmgreni (Wheeler), and W. pauli (Fernandes & Delabie); C. guatemalensis (Forel) (rev. stat.) is raised to species and includes C. obsoleta (Menozzi) (syn. nov.). The following new species are described: Cryptopone gilvagrande, C. gilvatumida, and Wadeura holmgrenita. Cryptopone hartwigi Arnold is transferred to Fisheropone Schmidt and Shattuck (n. comb.). Cryptopone mirabilis (Mackay & Mackay 2010) is a junior synonym of Centromyrmex brachycola (Roger) (syn. nov.). 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; (, European Journal of Taxonomy)
    The monotypic ant genus Igaponera gen. nov. is proposed to include its type species I. curiosa (Mackay & Mackay, 2010). Igaponera gen. nov. is described and phylogenetically compared with other ponerine genera based on external morphology. The type species is known from a single gyne originally described in the genus Pachycondyla Smith, 1858. Igaponera curiosa is easily diagnosed by: costate sculpture on head, mesosoma, and petiole; short, robust, triangular mandibles with blunt apex; relatively large eyes set at mid-length on sides of head; lack of stridulitrum; and presence of distinct but relatively small arolia. Putative apomorphies of the new genus are: cuticular flange concealing metapleural gland opening; vertically standing hypostomal tooth with recessed base; stout mandibular shape with blunt apex; absence of stout spine-like setae on meso- and metatibial apices. Our phylogenetic results based on morphology suggest that Neoponera Emery, 1901 and Pachycondyla are the closest lineages to Igaponera, which shows intermediate characteristics as compared to those genera. The genus is apparently arboreal, known only from a seasonally flooded Igapó forest near Manaus, Brazil. Despite the collection site being frequented by researchers, no other specimens of this genus have been collected in over 40 years prior to this study. 
    more » « less
  3. ; (, ZooKeys)
    This study describes the worker and queen castes of the Neotropical ponerine Corrieopone nouragues gen. nov. , sp. nov. , an ant from the tropical rainforest in French Guiana. Worker morphology of the taxon is compared with those of other Ponerinae and the similarities between them are discussed, refining the definition of character states for some diagnostic characters at the generic level, providing an identification key to the Neotropical genera, and making some adjustments to the taxonomic framework within the subfamily. Descriptions, diagnosis, character discussion, identification key, and glossary are illustrated with more than 300 images and line drawings. Open science is supported by providing access to measurement data for specimens of the new genus, a matrix of character states for all ponerine taxa evaluated in this study, and specimen data for all examined material. The new or revived combinations presented here are Pachycondyla procidua Emery, comb. rev. , Neoponera curiosa (Mackay and Mackay), comb. nov. , Leptogenys butteli (Forel), comb. nov. , and Bothroponera escherichi (Forel), comb. nov. In addition, Leptogenys butteli is synonymized with Leptogenys myops (Emery), syn. nov. 
    more » « less
  4. (, Zootaxa)
    In 1901, Forel described an ant species from a relatively poorly known genus of ants from North America, naming it Strumigenys pilinasis. In 1931 M. R. Smith obtained the holotype and redescribed it, and he included a first illustration. The description was incomplete and the illustration resembled Strumigenys brevisetosa Smith, 1935, more than it resembled S. pilinasis, which led subsequent taxonomists to make consistent misidentifications and to consider S. brevisetosa to be a synonym of S. pilinasis. Here I redescribe both S. pilinasis and S. brevisetosa (revived status). Strumigenys manni Wesson & Wesson, 1939, and S. ohioensis Kennedy & Schramm, 1933, are new junior synonyms of S. pilinasis, and S medialis Kennedy & Schramm, 1933, is a new junior synonym of S. brevisetosa. 
    more » « less
  5. ; (, Australian Journal of Taxonomy)
    A new species from the genus Cephalodesmius Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) is described from the Cental Mackay Coast bioregion, Queensland extending the northern range of the genus. Cephalodesmius carminya Ebert & Gunter new species is known from two localities in the Pine Mountain, Carminya Forest Reserve and 2.5 km west of Eungella dam. A key to the four species of Cephalodesmius is provided and we discuss morphological similarities between Cephalodesmius and its closest relative Canthonosoma Macleay. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email