Nest architecture and genetic differentiation in a species complex of Australian stingless bees

Molecular Ecology
P FranckBenjamin P Oldroyd

Abstract

We investigated the taxonomic significance of nest shape and its putative role in speciation in Trigona (Heterotrigona) carbonaria and T. (H.) hockingsi, two sibling species of stingless bee species from eastern Australia. These species are primarily distinguished by their nest architecture, as in all other respects they are nearly identical. We genotyped 130 colonies from six locations in Queensland at 13 microsatellite loci together with 106 additional colonies from six other Indo-Pacific Trigona species. Whether they were present in allopatry or in sympatry, colonies that displayed the T. carbonaria or the T. hockingsi nest architecture could be unambiguously differentiated at the genetic level. However, T. hockingsi colonies were classifiable into two highly differentiated paraphyletic and geographically separate populations, one in northern and one in southern Queensland. These two populations probably belong to two distinct species, T. hockingsi and T. davenporti nov. sp. Our results suggest that nest architecture characters are relevant but not sufficient criteria to identify species in this group. Consequently, modifications of nest architecture are probably not of prime importance in the speciation process of Australia...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 19, 2009·Biochemical Genetics·Sirikul ThummajitsakulSiriporn Sittipraneed
Jun 4, 2011·Genetics and Molecular Biology·Andreia Arantes BorgesMara Garcia Tavares
Apr 8, 2006·Molecular Ecology·Maxine Beveridge, Leigh W Simmons
Aug 10, 2010·Systematic Biology·Bernhard Hausdorf, Christian Hennig
Jul 23, 2020·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Silvana S S CardosoC Ignacio Sainz-Díaz
Dec 7, 2018·Environmental Entomology·Karina O ChamMaria Cecília L S A Rocha
Sep 19, 2019·Mitochondrial DNA. Part A. DNA Mapping, Sequencing, and Analysis·Elaine FrançosoMaria Cristina Arias
Aug 4, 2019·Insects·Joseph Belsky, Neelendra K Joshi

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