RESUMO
The genus Sphenarium Charpentier, 1842 comprises the most diverse group of the New World Pyrgomorphidae. These grasshoppers show an extensive variation in external morphology, and are culturally and economically important for Mexican people since pre-Hispanic times. Nevertheless, the taxonomy of Sphenarium has been chaotic and remained incompletely resolved until now. Following an integrative taxonomic framework, we infer the number of species in this genus by species delimitation based on morphological, phylogenetic, and geographic information. Based on our results, we revise the genus and redefine 9 species and describe 8 new species (S. adelinae sp.n., S. crypticum sp.n., S. infernalis sp.n., S. miztecum sp.n., S. occidentalis sp.n., S. tarascum sp.n., S. totonacum sp.n. and S. zapotecum sp.n.). Moreover, we update the knowledge of the evolutionary relationships and biogeographic patterns of Sphenarium species. Our results also demonstrate the importance of historic geological and climatic events on the lineage diversification of this genus. Different levels of morphological and genetic differentiation among species suggest a complex interplay between evolutionary forces during the evolution of these neotropical grasshoppers.
Assuntos
Gafanhotos , Animais , México , FilogeniaRESUMO
The genus Hermeuptychia is common and widespread through the Americas, from Argentina to the southern United States of America. All eight recognized species within Hermeuptychia are small and brown, with very similar interspecific external morphologies and intraspecifically variable ocelli patterns that render taxonomic identification based on morphology difficult. In our study, we surveyed variability within Hermeuptychia, and evaluated species boundaries based on molecular data (sequences of the 'barcode' mitochondrial DNA COI gene) and morphology (mainly male genitalia), using a phylogenetic approach. We found eight DNA-based and 12 morphological groups in our sampling. Species names were assigned based mainly on comparisons with male genitalia morphology descriptions corresponding to name-bearing type specimens. Morphological and DNA variability were highly congruent, with the exception of group H, the Hermeuptychia cucullina complex. Also, the barcode region showed a clear threshold for intra- and interspecific mean distances around 2%. Based on these results, we circumscribe the species boundaries in the genus Hermeuptychia and discuss conflicts between mitochondrial genes and classic morphological approaches for identifying and delimiting species. Our study revealed cryptic diversity within an ubiquitous genus of Neotropical butterflies.