A Study in Splitting the Ant Complex Monomorium antarcticum (Fr. Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

• Main Author: Dann, Michael J
• Other Authors: Riitchie, Peter A, Lester, Philip J
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Victoria University of Wellington 2008
• Subjects: Species Complexes; DNA Barcoding; COI; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/494

This work provides new information about the native Southern Ant complex Monomorium antarcticum. In the first experimental chapter (chapter two) the diversity of species within the complex, the utility of DNA barcode molecular data in such taxonomic work and how DNA barcode data combines with traditional morphological and morphometric data is investigated. The second experimental chapter (chapter three) explores the genetic structuring of the complex and how that relates to the complexs recent biogeographic history and the dispersal potential, both natural and human mediated. The two experimental chapters (chapters two and three) in this thesis have overlap of portions of the methods and results as they have been written as a pair of papers so as they can be read independently from each other.