title: A nuclear DNA based phylogeny of endemic sand dune ants of the genus Mycetophylax (Emery, 1913): how morphology is reflected in molecular data.
abstract: Molecular methods have substantially advanced our knowledge about ant systematics in the past few years. Here, we infer the molecular phylogeny of sand dune ants of the genus Mycetophylax, Emery 1913 (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) using 730 base pairs of DNA sequences of the two nuclear genes longwave rhodopsin and wingless. Our analyses indicate that Mycetophylax is monophyletic, as suggested by its morphological characters. M. morschi, previously considered a species of Cyphomyrmex due to a scrobe-like impressed area on the head, forms a well-supported cluster with the two other species of Mycetophylax, M. conformis and M. simplex. Our analysis yields the first comprehensive phylogeny of Mycetophylax based on molecular data and includes specimens from localities within a wide distributional range as well as all species belonging to the genus following the recent taxonomic revision.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Genética e Melhoramento, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Minas Gerais 36570-000, Brazil; Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, Lehrstuhl Biologie I, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Danon Clemes
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Maykon Passos
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cristiano
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: Mara Garcia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tavares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D004247:DNA
keywords: Attini; Evolution; Formicidae; Fungus-growing ants; Molecular phylogeny