Molecular genetics of the Peninsular Malaysian termite genus Odontotermes
Termites of the genus Odontotermes (Macrotermitinae) are important decomposers in the Old World tropics. Species within the genus have overlapping size ranges and are difficult to differentiate based on morphology. As a result, the taxonomy of species within the genus is poorly resolved. In this...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/85020/1/FBSB%202011%2022%20ir.pdf |
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| Summary: | Termites of the genus Odontotermes (Macrotermitinae) are important
decomposers in the Old World tropics. Species within the genus have
overlapping size ranges and are difficult to differentiate based on
morphology. As a result, the taxonomy of species within the genus is poorly
resolved. In this study, the species boundaries of the Peninsular Malaysian
Odontotermes were elucidated using mtDNA genes, namely the 16S
ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I. MtDNA genes defined at
least eleven species of Odontotermes in Peninsular Malaysia, namely, o.
escherichi, O. hainanensis, O. javanicus, O. longignathus, o. malaccensis,
O. oblongatus, O. paraoblongatus, o. sara waken sis, and three morphospecies
that have now been identified as O. azmiensis sp. nov, O. minutus and O. srinakarinensis sp. nov. Microsatellite markers were also developed
de novo to investigate the presence of cryptic species in O. srinakarinensis
sp. nov, a clade which consisted of samples with highly divergent
sequences. Shared allele trees, principal components analysis and Bayesian
clustering of genotype data from 191 termite individuals from this species
complex showed that samples in this clade were in fact made up of two
species, that is, O. srinakarinensis and O. denticulatus. This was
corroborated by morphological and distributional differences between these
species. After mtDNA and microsatellite data helped elucidate the species
boundaries of the Peninsular Malaysian Odontotermes, the soldiers of each
species were morphometrically characterised. In addition, information on the
host and habitat associations of species within the Odontotermes, and their
distribution throughout the peninsula were determined. |
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