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. 2017 Mar 22;12(3):e0174366.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174366. eCollection 2017.

Phylogenetic reconstruction of Syntermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) based on morphological and molecular data

Mauricio M Rocha  1 , Adriana C Morales-Corrêa E Castro  2 , Carolina Cuezzo  1 , Eliana M Cancello  1
Affiliations

Phylogenetic reconstruction of Syntermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) based on morphological and molecular data

Mauricio M Rocha et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The subfamily Syntermitinae comprises a group of Neotropical termites with 18 genera and 101 species described. It has been considered a natural group, but relationships among the genera within the subfamily remain uncertain, and some genera appear to be non-monophyletic. Here, we provide a comprehensive phylogeny including six Neotropical species of Termitinae as outgroup, 42 Syntermitinae species as ingroup, 92 morphological characters (from external and internal anatomy of soldier and worker castes) and 117 molecular sequences (109 obtained for this study and 8 from GenBank) of 4 gene regions (41 and 22 from Cytochrome Oxidase I and II respectively, 19 from Cytochrome b, and 35 from 16S rDNA). Morphological and molecular data were analyzed in combination, with the Bayesian inference method, and the important aspects of termite biology, defense and feeding habits are discussed based on the resulting tree. Although useful for providing diagnostic characters, the morphology of the soldier caste reveals several cases of convergence; whereas the feeding habit shows indications of evolutionary significance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Examples of shapes of labrum.
A. Syntermes molestus; B. Procornitermes triacifer; C. Microcerotermes strunckii; D. Labiotermes labralis; E. Cornitermes cumulans F. Silvestritermes holmgreni.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Examples of shapes of postmentum.
A. Cornitermes cumulans; B. Labiotermes labralis; C. Rhynchotermes nasutissimus.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Examples of types of frontal gland openings and frontal tube shapes.
A. Microcerotermes strunckii; B. Amitermes amifer; C. Syntermes molestus; D. Labiotermes labralis; E. Procornitermes araujoi; F. Embiratermes festivellus.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Examples of shapes of outer margins of the forecoxae and projections.
A. Syntermes molestus; B. Cornitermes cumulans; C. Armitermes spininotus; D. Embiratermes festivellus; E. Rhynchotermes nasutissimus.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Examples of lateral lobes of the pronotum.
A. Labiotermes labralis; B. Embiratermes festivellus; C. Syntermes molestus.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Examples of shapes of thoracic nota.
A. Labiotermes labralis; B. Armitermes spininotus; C. Syntermes molestus; D. Syntermes crassilabrum.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Examples of mandibles (right) and molar regions.
A. Procornitermes araujoi; B. Embiratermes festivellus; C. Curvitermes odontognathus. (Arrows indicate the molar region).
Fig 8
Fig 8. Examples of pulvilli ornamentations.
A. Uncitermes teevani; B. Mapinguaritermes peruanus.
Fig 9
Fig 9
Insertion of the stomodeal valve in the mesenteron (A, B) and examples of alignment of the mesenteric tongues (C–F). A. Cornitermes cumulans; B. Procornitermes striatus; C. Silvestritermes holmgreni; D. Mapinguaritermes peruanus; E. Rhynchotermes nasutissimus; F. Ibitermes curupira.
Fig 10
Fig 10. Homology between the ornament regions inside the first proctodeal segment (red, central area; yellow, distal area; and green, region around the mesenteric tongue).
A Curvitermes odontognathus; B. Embiratermes festivellus; C. Cornitermes cumulans.
Fig 11
Fig 11. Examples of transition from tubular portion to dilated portion in P1 (arrows, initial portion of the dilated regions).
A. Silvestritermes holmgreni; B. Cornitermes cumulans; C. Cyrilliotermes angulariceps; D. Uncitermes teevani.
Fig 12
Fig 12. Examples of connections between P1 and P3 through P2.
A. Silvestritermes holmgreni; B. Cyrilliotermes angulariceps; C. Embiratermes festivellus.
Fig 13
Fig 13. Examples of P2 insertion, relative to abdomen length (arrows, P2 position).
A. Silvestritermes holmgreni; B. Cyrilliotermes angulariceps.
Fig 14
Fig 14. Examples of enteric valve shapes.
A. Amitermes amifer; B. Curvitermes odontognathus; C. Mapinguaritermes peruanus; D. Genuotermes spinifer; E. Embiratermes festivellus; F. Embiratermes silvestrii; G. Procornitermes lespessi; H. Cornitermes cumulans; I. Silvestritermes holmgreni.
Fig 15
Fig 15. Examples of P3b shapes and isthmus insertions (arrow, sub-apical P3 insertion).
A. Microcerotermes strunckii; B. Curvitermes odontognathus; C. Embiratermes ignotus; D. Acangaobitermes krishnai.
Fig 16
Fig 16. Examples of body proportions and profiles.
A. Cornitermes cumulans; B. Labiotermes labralis; C. Acangaobitermes krishnai.
Fig 17
Fig 17. Worker mandibles (not to same scale).
A. Microcerotermes strunckii; B. Cornitermes cumulans; C. Silvestritermes holmgreni; D. Curvitermes odontognathus; E. Paracurvitermes manni; F. detail of C. cumulans molar plate notch; G. detail of S. holmgreni molar plate notch.
Fig 18
Fig 18. Tree obtained with the Bayesian analysis with morphological data and COII, 16S rDNA sequences, partitioned by genes.
The respective posterior probability is indicated above each node, and the branch color represents the posterior probability.
Fig 19
Fig 19. Tree obtained with the Bayesian analysis with morphological data and all four sequences, partitioned by codons.
The respective posterior probability is indicated above each node, and the branch color represents the posterior probability.
Fig 20
Fig 20. Tree obtained with the Bayesian analysis with morphological data and COII, Cytb, 16S rDNA sequences, partitioned by codons.
The respective posterior probability is indicated above each node, and the branch color represents the posterior probability.
Fig 21
Fig 21. Comparison between topologies of the more consistent trees.
A. analysis with morphological data and COII, 16S rDNA sequences, partitioned by genes; B. analysis with morphological data and all sequences, partitioned by codons; C. analysis with morphological data and COII, Cytb, 16S rDNA sequences, partitioned by codons. The equivalent branches are indicated by the colors; the name of each species is represented by an acronym.
Fig 22
Fig 22. Reconstruction of the primary individual defense mechanisms of syntermitine soldiers.
Examples of soldier head shapes, A. Syntermes molestus; B. Rhynchotermes nasutissimus; C. Labiotermes labralis; D. Uncitermes teevani; the state of each taxon is indicated by the color of the squares, and the name of each species is represented by an acronym.
Fig 23
Fig 23. Reconstruction of the syntermitine mandible characters.
Molar region (character 92) and relative size of left apical tooth (character 85) reconstructions. The state of each taxon is indicated by the color of the squares, and the name of each species is represented by an acronym.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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