Morphological and genetic evidence for the synonymy of Reticulitermes species: Reticulitermes dichrous and Reticulitermes guangzhouensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Keywords:
morphometric characteristic, 16S rRNA, COIIAbstract
The taxonomy of Reticulitermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in China is problematic and in need of revision. Most Chinese Reticulitermes species were described in the 1980s and 1990s, and have never been studied since then. In this study, morphological characteristics including coloration, pilosity, shape, and morphometric characteristics of Reticulitermes dichrous Ping and Reticulitermes guangzhouensis Ping were compared. In addition, a portion of the ribosomal RNA large subunit 16S (16S rRNA) and the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) genes from different populations of the 2 species were sequenced and analyzed. Morphological comparisons revealed the similarities between the 2 species in both discrete and morphometric characteristics. In the molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from COII and 16S rRNA genes, all of the examined populations of the 2 species clustered into a common clade with a high bootstrap value. Based on the morphological comparisons and the molecular analyses, it is proposed that R. dichrous is a junior synonym of R. guangzhouensis.
Resumen
La taxonomía del género Reticulitermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) en China es problemática y necesita revisión. La mayoría de las especies chinas de Reticulitermes fueron descritas en los años ochenta y noventa, y nunca se han estudiado desde entonces. En este estudio se compararon las características morfológicas incluyendo coloración, pilosidad, forma y características morfométricas de Reticulitermes dichrous Ping y Reticulitermes guangzhouensis Ping. Además, se secuenció y analizó una parte de la subunidad 16S (16S rRNA) del ARN ribosómico y los genes de la subunidad II de la citocromo oxidasa (COII) del ADN mitocondrial de diferentes poblaciones de las 2 especies. Las comparaciones morfológicas revelaron las similitudes entre las 2 especies tanto en características discretas como morfométricas. En los árboles filogenéticos moleculares inferidos de los genes COII y 16S rRNA, todas las poblaciones examinadas de las 2 especies se agruparon en un clado común con un alto valor de bootstrap. Basándose en las comparaciones morfológicas y en los análisis moleculares, se propone que R. dichrous es un sinónimo menor de R. guangzhouensis.
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