XVIII.—Ants from North and South-West Australia (G.F. Hill, Rowland Turner) and Christmas Island, Straits Settlements.—Part II

Species inventories are essential for documenting global diversity and generating necessary material for taxonomic study and conservation planning. However, for inventories to be immediately relevant, the taxonomic process must reduce the time to describe and identify specimens. To address these concerns for the inventory of arthropods across the Malagasy region, we present here a collaborative approach to taxonomy where collectors, morphologists and DNA barcoders using cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) participate collectively in a team-driven taxonomic process. We evaluate the role of DNA barcoding as a tool to accelerate species identification and description.This revision is primarily based on arthropod surveys throughout the Malagasy region from 1992 to 2006. The revision is based on morphological and CO1 DNA barcode analysis of 500 individuals. In the region, five species of Anochetus (A. boltoni sp. nov., A. goodmani sp. nov., A. grandidieri, and A. madagascarensis from Madagascar, and A. pattersoni sp. nov. from Seychelles) and three species of Odontomachus (O. coquereli, O. troglodytes and O. simillimus) are recognized. DNA barcoding (using cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1)) facilitated caste association and type designation, and highlighted population structure associated with reproductive strategy, biogeographic and evolutionary patterns for future exploration.This study provides an example of collaborative taxonomy, where morphology is combined with DNA barcoding. We demonstrate that CO1 DNA barcoding is a practical tool that allows formalized alpha-taxonomy at a speed, detail, precision, and scale unattainable by employing morphology alone.

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“…Odontomachus haematoda var. breviceps , Crawley, 1915: 239 [33] . Type locality: Christmas Island, Australia (BMNH) [not examined].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Revision of Malagasy Species of Anochetus Mayr and Odontomachus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

2008

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“…Around the Pacific rim, P. megacephala has been found in Australia (e.g., Forel 1902, 1915, Tryon 1912, Crawley 1915, Clark 1941, Nikitin 1979, Vanderwoude et al 2000, China (e.g., Wheeler 1927, Zhou andZheng 1999), Indonesia (e.g., Smith 1871, Emery 1900, Forel 1909, Wheeler 1924, Japan (e.g., Sonobe 1973, Onoyama 1976, Abe and Maeda 1977, Yamauchi and Ogata 1995, Papua New Guinea (e.g., Room 1975), the Philippines (e.g., Forel 1907), Taiwan (e.g., Wheeler 1909, 1929, Forel 1912, and Vietnam (e.g., Karawajew 1935).…”

Section: Beneficial Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 3. The African Big-Headed Ant, Pheidole megacephala (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Wetterer¹

2007

Pacific Science

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“…Anoplolepis gracilipes was most probably introduced accidentally to Christmas Island sometime between 1915and 1934(Crawley 1915Donisthorpe 1935), it was not until the early 1990's that populations exploded, resulting in the significant ecological damage present today. Interestingly, the yellow crazy ant was not reported on Christmas Island between 1935 and1989, despite a number of arthropod surveys, suggesting particularly low numbers during this period (Framenau and Thomas 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supercolony mosaics: two different invasions by the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

et al. 2009

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Invasive species are one of the main reasons for the ongoing global loss of biodiversity. Anoplolepis gracilipes is an invasive ant that has recently received significant attention due to its negative effect on the native fauna and flora of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. This species has contributed to a drastic change in the structure of the Christmas Island rainforest through its negative impact on the island's endemic red land crab, the dominant consumer on the islands forest floor. In this study, we investigate the population structure of A. gracilipes on Christmas Island in order to determine whether multiple introductions occurred on the island and how they correspond to known infestations. We genotyped 578 individuals collected from 50 nests across the Island. We identify two distinct subgroups in the population that represent two different supercolonies. These supercolonies are interspersed across the island, however both nuclear (microsatellites) and mitochondrial markers strongly suggest that there is no gene flow between the two colonies. Significant heterozygote excess within the entire sampling area, with all but one worker examined being heterozygous for all seven microsatellite loci, suggests an unusual reproductive system in these ants. Our results are consistent with recent sociogenetic findings in a population of A. gracilipes in Northern Borneo.

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XVIII.—Ants from North and South-West Australia (G.F. Hill, Rowland Turner) and Christmas Island, Straits Settlements.—Part II

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

A Revision of Malagasy Species of Anochetus Mayr and Odontomachus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A Revision of Malagasy Species of Anochetus Mayr and Odontomachus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 3. The African Big-Headed Ant, Pheidole megacephala (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Supercolony mosaics: two different invasions by the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes, on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

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