Ants in Australia’s Monsoonal Tropics: CO1 Barcoding Reveals Extensive Unrecognised Diversity

Oberprieler, Stefanie K.; Andersen, Alan N.; Moritz, Craig

doi:10.3390/d10020036

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…To increase knowledge on the biology of the species of interest, good taxonomic identification is a necessary step: closely related species might show differences in the ESs they provide (Davies et al ., 2003; Leite, Carvalho & Wilcox, 2018). The widespread use of molecular techniques should help to fill such knowledge gaps (Eggleton, 1999; Scharf, 2015; Turčinavičienė et al ., 2016; Oberprieler et al ., 2018; Sonet et al ., 2018). To quantify the abundance and biomass of the social insect provider of an ES is also important since the ESs that social insects provide depend on their abundance or biomass.…”

Section: Knowledge Gaps and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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Social insects, i.e. ants, bees, wasps and termites, are key components of ecological communities, and are important ecosystem services (ESs) providers. Here, we review the literature in order to (i) analyse the particular traits of social insects that make them good suppliers of ESs; (ii) compile and assess management strategies that improve the services provided by social insects; and (iii) detect gaps in our knowledge about the services that social insects provide. Social insects provide at least 10 ESs; however, many of them are poorly understood or valued. Relevant traits of social insects include high biomass and numerical abundance, a diversity of mutualistic associations, the ability to build important biogenic structures, versatile production of chemical defences, the simultaneous delivery of several ESs, the presence of castes and division of labour, efficient communication and cooperation, the capacity to store food, and a long lifespan. All these characteristics enhance social insects as ES providers, highlighting their potential, constancy and efficiency as suppliers of these services. In turn, many of these traits make social insects stress tolerant and easy to manage, so increasing the ESs they provide. We emphasise the need for a conservation approach to the management of the services, as well as the potential use of social insects to help restore habitats degraded by human activities. In addition, we stress the need to evaluate both services and disservices in an integrated way, because some species of social insects are among the most problematic invasive species and native pests. Finally, we propose two areas of research that will lead to a greater and more efficient use of social insects as ES providers, and to a greater appreciation of them by producers and decision‐makers.

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Section: Knowledge Gaps and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

et al. 2020

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“…However, first molecular analysis of S. geminate confirmed invasion and distribution of this invasive species in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa (Kouakou et al 2017). A combination of DNA barcoding with morphological analysis revealed seven ant species belonging to genera Papyrius Shattuck 1992 , Iridomyrmex Mayr 1862, Cardiocondyla nuda (Mayr 1866) group, and Camponotus novaehollandiae (Mayr 1870) group (Oberprieler et al 2018). Separation of these seven species was based on COI sequences divergence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA barcoding of the fire ant genus Solenopsis Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Riyadh region, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Rasool

Husain

Salman

et al. 2020

Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

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The ant genus Solenopsis Westwood, 1840 is the largest in Myrmicinae subfamily having almost 200 described species worldwide. They are commonly distributed in the tropics and temperate areas of the world. Some invasive Solenopsis species are very dreadful. We have already reported a fire ant species, Solenopsis saudiensis Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011, identified using traditional morphometric approaches of species identification. Present study was carried out to develop DNA Barcoding to identify Solenopsis saudiensis and to elucidate genetic structure of the various S. saudiensis populations across their distribution range in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The comparison of DNA barcodes showed no genetic diversity among six populations and a queen from S. saudiensis analyzed from the Riyadh region. This genetic resemblance probably reflects their adaptation toward a specific habitat, thus constituting a single and strong gene pool. Our comprehensive field survey did not provide any evidence of Solenopsis species except S. saudiensis in the Riyadh region. Solenopsis saudiensis populations were only found around date palm trees indicating their strong association with date palm groves. Moreover, S. saudiensis has 83–86% sequence identity to other Solenopsis spp. from other parts of the world. Interestingly, the highest sequence identity of (86%) was with that of Solenopsis molesta Say, 1836, the thief ant, from the USA. This study provides a working laboratory procedure and a reference library for the identification of Solenopsis saudiensis.

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“…The extraordinary ant diversity in arid Australia is largely unrecognised because most of the land is extremely remote and unsampled, and taxonomic revisions have failed to appreciate the significance of morphological variation within widespread 'species'. Recent assessments that integrate morphological, genetic and distributional information from increasingly extensive sampling are now demonstrating the remarkable extent of diversity (Andersen, 2016;Andersen et al, 2020Andersen et al, , 2022Oberprieler et al, 2018). The fauna includes the endemic arid-specialist genus Melophorus with at least 1000 species (Andersen et al, 2016(Andersen et al, , 2020, along with three cosmopolitan genera (Monomorium, Camponotus and Pheidole) with likely more than 500 arid Australian species, and several others with more than 100 (Andersen, 2003(Andersen, , 2016.…”

Section: The Arid -Adap Ted Aus Tr Alian Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical biogeography shapes functional ecology: Inter‐continental contrasts in responses of savanna ant communities to stress and disturbance

Andersen

Vasconcelos

2022

Journal of Biogeography

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Most comparative studies of biological communities in different biogeographical regions highlight ecological convergence under matched environments. Here we use savanna ant communities as a striking example where such convergence has not occurred. The savanna ant faunas of Australia, Brazil and Africa have very different functional composition due to their highly contrasting evolutionary origins.We synthesise the literature relating to the diversity and composition of savanna ant communities in the three continents, along with ant community responses to fire and aridity.Australian savannas evolved in association with a desert biome and its fauna is strongly arid adapted: it is exceptionally thermophilic, granivorous species are extremely diverse and abundant, high diversity is maintained with increasing aridity, and communities are highly resilient to simplification of vegetation structure induced by frequent fire. Brazilian savannas evolved surrounded by rainforest and have a forestderived ant fauna; this fauna is not so highly thermophilic, granivory is almost absent, diversity declines with increasing aridity and communities are highly sensitive to fireinduced vegetation change. Africa has a very generalised ant fauna that has moderate representations of highly thermophilic and granivorous species, diversity appears to decline with increasing aridity, but communities are highly resilient to fire.The different biogeographical histories of tropical savannas in Australia, Brazil and Africa have led to functionally distinct ant faunas that display contrasting responses to environmental stress and disturbance. Phylogenetic niche conservatism seems to be particularly strong for granivory and thermophilia. Such intercontinental differences have important implications for understanding biodiversity responses to land management and climate change.

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Ants in Australia’s Monsoonal Tropics: CO1 Barcoding Reveals Extensive Unrecognised Diversity

Cited by 13 publications

References 86 publications

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps

DNA barcoding of the fire ant genus Solenopsis Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Riyadh region, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Historical biogeography shapes functional ecology: Inter‐continental contrasts in responses of savanna ant communities to stress and disturbance

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