Assessing Species Boundaries and Sex-Associations in the GenusDrepanaporus(Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), With Comparison of the Utility of Cytochrome c Oxidase I and a Nuclear Molecular Marker, and the Description of a New Species ofDrepanaporus

Abstract

AbstractThe taxonomy of the Antillean genus Drepanaporus Bradley (Pompilidae) is problematic because of sexual dimorphism and nearly uniform morphology of males across species. Species limits are not well understood, and sexes are not properly associated in all species. In this study, we reassessed morphology, and collected novel molecular data for the purpose of determining species boundaries and establishing sex-associations for all species. Two genes, cytochrome c oxidase (COI) and long-wavelength rhodopsin (LWRh) were amplified for 20 specimens of Drepanaporus, from both females and males. Using LWRh (including both introns and exons) and COI sequences, the relationships of Drepanaporus samples were reconstructed. Sequences obtained for COI showed unusually high divergences and putative introgression, and thus were not used for taxonomic decisions. Taxonomic changes were made based on the LWRh phylogenetic results. A new species of Drepanaporus— Drepanaporus bachata sp. nov—is described herein based on both molecular and morphological characters for both male and female specimens, and a key is provided for the genus for the three species now recognized. We also discuss the usefulness of mitochondrial and nuclear markers in Pompilidae for species delimitations and sex-associations.