Using an integrative taxonomic approach to delimit a sibling species, Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos sp. nov. (Formicidae: Attini: Attina)

Abstract

The fungus-growing ant Mycetomoellerius (previously Trachymyrmex) zeteki (Weber 1940) has been the focus of a wide range of studies examining symbiotic partners, garden pathogens, mating frequencies, and genomics. This is in part due to the ease of collecting colonies from creek embankments and its high abundance in the Panama Canal region. The original description was based on samples collected on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. However, most subsequent studies have sampled populations on the mainland 15 km southeast of BCI. Herein we show that two sibling ant species live in sympatry on the mainland: Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos Cardenas, Schultz, & Adams and M. zeteki. This distinction was originally based on behavioral differences of workers in the field and on queen morphology (M. mikromelanos workers and queens are smaller and black while those of M. zeteki are larger and red). Authors frequently refer to either species as “M. cf. zeteki,” indicating uncertainty about identity. We used an integrative taxonomic approach to resolve this, examining worker behavior, chemical profiles of worker volatiles, molecular markers, and morphology of all castes. For the latter, we used conventional taxonomic indicators from nine measurements, six extrapolated indices, and morphological characters. We document a new observation of a Diapriinae (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) parasitoid wasp parasitizing M. zeteki. Finally, we discuss the importance of vouchering in dependable, accessible museum collections and provide a table of previously published papers to clarify the usage of the name T. zeteki. We found that most reports of M. zeteki or M. cf. zeteki—including a genome—actually refer to the new species M. mikromelanos.