Integrando morfologia e DNA barcoding na determinação de espécies de térmitas do complexo Floresta Atlântica e Caatinga do estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Termites are eusocial insects of the order Blattodea that manage to modify habitat resources and conditions for other functional groups, and are therefore considered ecosystem engineers. Traditionally, recognition of a termite species has been based on morphological characteristics found in different castes, particularly soldiers. Intraspecific geographic differences, lack of soldier caste (e.g., in the subfamily Apicotermitidae), and old descriptions with scarce diagnoses often present obstacles to identification at a particular level. In this situation, the use of additional information linked to molecular biology, ecology, and behavior becomes a powerful integrative tool for taxa recognition. With the aim of expanding the forms of identification of species of this group, in the present study, a database of sequences of the mitochondrial gene encoding the subunit II of cytochrome oxidase (COII) was generated for termites occurring in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The database was built by amplifying 135 COII sequences, identified in 28 genera, 48 species, and three morphospecies. Additionally, six sequences deposited in GenBank were amplified from specimens collected in the state of Paraíba. Among the species sequences we were able to amplify, 15 taxa had their first COII sequences deposited in GenBank. Using distance (ASAP and ABGD) and tree delimitation methods (GMYC, bPTP, mPTP and PTP), results were found confirming the efficiency of this technique in species identification and delimitation. However, when intraspecific and interspecific variation was evaluated, species were found to have intraspecific genetic variation classified as high (> 2%) or low interspecific divergence (< 2%). Analysis of the efficiency of specimen identification by our database revealed a high rate of correct identifications (91.80% to 100%). The construction of this database provided results that go beyond identification, as it allows us to know the genetic diversity of some termite species present in Paraíba and to use new molecular techniques to obtain conservation information.