8 replies to this topic

[Foogoo]

I was under the impression that what was formerly called Messor is now Veromessor (specifically V. pergandei) and Aphaenogaster (specifically A. cockerelli) is now Novomessor. However, in this 2001 paper linked by kellakk in a different thread, they refer to the two in the opposite direction, "Messor formerly Veromessor" and "Aphaenogaster formerly Novomessor". What's the deal? What is the correct name?

[Gregory2455]

North American Messor species became Veromessor, because genetic differences between true Messor (found in Europe, Asia, and Africa) and North American Messor were too different. All Messor species in Europe are still Messor, only the North American ones have been reclassified. Also, Aphaenogaster still exists here, they only took a few species out of Aphaenogaster (I think once again, because of genetic differences being too high) and placed then in the genus Novomessor.

[Gregory2455]

Also I think both Veromessor and Novomessor have existed in the past, but they just squished them into Messor and Aphaenogaster. 

[kellakk]

For Novomessor, see this paper. It was a genus that was removed, then revived after some taxonomic/phylogenetic work on that genus.  For Veromessor, here's a paper that revived that genus from synonymy with Messor.  

 

Edit: Greg's explanation is a bit more in depth and correct.

Edited by kellakk, July 28 2015 - 2:17 PM.

[LC3]

I wonder where Kell gets all of these papers.

Edited by LC3, July 28 2015 - 3:37 PM.

[Jonathan21700]

I wonder why when some Aphaenogaster like cockerelli now became Novomessor but the other long legged Aphaenogaster from Europe, Asia and Africa are still called Aphaenogaster.

[Foogoo]

For Novomessor, see this paper. It was a genus that was removed, then revived after some taxonomic/phylogenetic work on that genus.  For Veromessor, here's a paper that revived that genus from synonymy with Messor.  

 

Edit: Greg's explanation is a bit more in depth and correct.

Would you happen to have a copy of the first paper regarding Novomessor? Can't seem to find it online.

[kellakk]

Nope, sorry.  I'm trying to get a copy right now.

[Foogoo]

Been doing more reading and it's fascinating how Novomessor and Veromessor were revived as recently as 2015 and 2014, respectively. This excerpt from the DeMarco paper summarizes the history of Novomessor pretty well and what it's been through:

 

Aphaenogaster has a complicated taxonomic history due to variability of taxonomic characters. Mayr (1853) described the genus based on two new species from Italy, A. sardoa Mayr, 1853 and A. senilis Mayr, 1853. Mayr (1863) later moved the genus into Atta (F., 1804) as a subgenus. Emery (1895) removed Aphaenogaster from Atta and placed it as a subgenus of Stenamma Westwood, 1839. Emery (1908) decided it merited generic status. Umphrey (1996) addressed the complicated Aphaenogaster fulva-rudis-texana complex using morphometric characters and karyotypes to identify 10 taxa that included six previously recognized species and four undescribed species. He concluded that additional DNA data were needed to define and diagnose these groups. Recent inclusion of DNA data in Bayesian phylogenetic analyses resolved Aphaenogaster as polyphyletic, including Messor Forel, 1890 and Stenamma (Brady et al. 2006, Moreau and Bell 2013). Ward (2011) suggested that convergent evolution and retention of ancestral similarities were two major factors contributing to polyphyly of Aphaenogaster.

 

Aphaenogaster taxonomy was further complicated with the description of Novomessor Emery, 1915 and Veromessor Forel, 1917. Brown (1974) synonymized Novomessor with Aphaenogaster and returned two species, N. ensifera Forel, 1899 and N. manni Wheeler and Creighton, 1934, to Aphaenogaster. Based on this synonymy, he reduced Novomessor to a subgenus of Aphaenogaster. Ho¨ lldobler et al. (1976) resurrected Novomessor to generic status; however, Bolton (1982 and 2003) considered Novomessor as a junior synonym of Aphaenogaster and Veromessor as a junior synonym of Messor.