Phylogeography of two neotropical termites (Isoptera) species with different life styles

• Grant number: 13/20068-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2014
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Marques Cancello
• Grantee: Eliana Marques Cancello
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Carolina Cuezzo ; Adriana Coletto Morales ; Joice Paulo Constantini ; Mauricio Martins da Rocha ; Rafaella Gregorio Santos ; Tiago Fernandes Carrijo

Abstract

This proposal aims to perform phylogeographical studies of the species Heterotermes tenuis (Hagen, 1858) and Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar in Pohl, 1832). These species were already studied in my laboratory, during my doctoral thesis (Taxonomic revision of Cornitermes) and the doctoral thesis of my student Tiago F. Carrijo (Population genetics of H. tenuis from the upper Madeira River, in Rondônia, Brazil). Heterotermes tenuis is a subterranean species, and the molecular results point to at least two independent lineages inside what we were calling H. tenuis (Ht. A and Ht. B), suggesting the existence of two morphological cryptic species. Cornitermes cumulans builds conspicuous epigeal nests, and shows a huge morphological variation among populations of different localities. Nevertheless, it is not known if this variation is a morphological plasticity in response to environment, or by genetic differentiation of the populations by the interruption or reduction of genetic flow. These two species can be pests, causing several damage to humans, and the phylogeographical studies here proposed will help: 1) to clarify the taxonomy of these groups, helping in establish limits among populations and species inside the groups; 2) to understand the evolutionary and demographic history of the natural populations inside both groups; 3) to understand the macroecological events that drove the evolution of Neotropical termites as a whole. The phylogeographical analysis of H. tenuis is already being performed by my student T. F. Carrijo, with a Fapesp post-doctoral scholarship (Process: 2013/03767-0), and this proposal aims to give support to his project, as well as to give support to the project of my doctoral student, Rafaella G. Santos, consisting the Phylogeography of C. cumulans, and submitted to Fapesp scholarship evaluation (Process: 2013/19869-7). (AU)

Scientific publications

(10)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CASTRO, DANIEL; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Rustitermes boteroi, a new genus and species of soldierless termites (Blattodea, Isoptera, Apicotermitinae) from South America. ZOOKEYS, n. 922, p. 35-49, MAR 25 2020. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; CARRIJO, TIAGO FERNANDES; PALMA-ONETTO, VALERIA; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF; CARNOHAN, LUCAS PAUL; SOBOTNIK, JAN; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Tonsuritermes, a new soldierless termite genus and two new species from South America (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae). Zootaxa, v. 4531, n. 3, p. 383-394, DEC 13 2018. (13/03767-0, 14/11982-1, 13/20068-9)

ROCHA, M. M.; CUEZZO, C.; CONSTANTINI, J. P.; OLIVEIRA, D. E.; SANTOS, R. G.; CARRIJO, T. F.; CANCELLO, E. M.. Overview of the Morphology of Neotropical Termite Workers: History and Practice. Sociobiology, v. 66, n. 1, p. 1-32, MAR 2019. (14/11982-1, 13/20068-9)

CASTRO, DANIEL; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Rustitermes boteroi, a new genus and species of soldierless termites (Blattodea, Isoptera, Apicotermitinae) from South America. ZOOKEYS, v. N/A, n. 922, p. 15-pg., 2020-03-25. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

SANTOS, AMANDA DE FARIA; CARRIJO, TIAGO FERNANDES; CANCELLO, ELIANA MARQUES; MORALES-CORREA E CASTRO, ADRIANA COLETTO. Phylogeography of Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae) in the Neotropical Region. BMC Evolutionary Biology, v. 17, NOV 23 2017. (13/20068-9)

KOHARI, KAROLINA S.; PALMA-ONETTO, VALERIA; SCHEFFRAHN, RUDOLF H.; VASCONCELLOS, ALEXANDRE; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.; SANTOS, RAFAELLA G.; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.. Evolutionary history of Nasutitermes kemneri (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae), a termite from the South American diagonal of open formations. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, v. 10, p. 9-pg., 2022-12-22. (13/20068-9, 13/03767-0, 20/06041-4)

SOBOTNIK, JAN; BOURGUIGNON, THOMAS; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; BORDEREAU, CHRISTIAN; ROBERT, ALAIN; KRIZKOVA, BARBORA; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. The nasus gland: A new gland in soldiers of Angularitermes (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT, v. 44, n. 5, SI, p. 401-406, SEP 2015. (13/03767-0, 13/20068-9)

SOBOTNIK, JAN; BOURGUIGNON, THOMAS; CARRIJO, TIAGO F.; BORDEREAU, CHRISTIAN; ROBERT, ALAIN; KRIZKOVA, BARBORA; CONSTANTINI, JOICE P.; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. The nasus gland: A new gland in soldiers of Angularitermes (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT, v. 44, n. 5, p. 6-pg., 2015-09-01. (13/03767-0, 13/20068-9)

CONSTANTINI, JOICE; JANEI, VANELIZE; COSTA-LEONARDO, ANA MARIA; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Dissimulitermes, a new soldierless termite genus (Blattaria: Isoptera: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae) from the Neotropics and the histology of its dehiscent organ. Insect Systematics and Evolution, v. 52, n. 4, p. 412-427, JUL 2021. (13/20068-9, 14/11982-1)

ROCHA, MAURICIO M.; MORALES-CORREA E CASTRO, ADRIANA C.; CUEZZO, CAROLINA; CANCELLO, ELIANA M.. Phylogenetic reconstruction of Syntermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) based on morphological and molecular data. PLoS One, v. 12, n. 3, MAR 22 2017. (13/05610-1, 12/00952-9, 13/20068-9)