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Deceiving colors: recognition of color morphs as separate species in orchid bees is not supported by molecular evidence

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Abstract

The orchid bees includes many species whose integument color is predominantly metallic, in particular those from the genus Euglossa. In the Atlantic Forest, some species exhibit color variation that seems to be linked with their distribution, with warmer colors (green, with coppery and reddish tones) in lower latitudes and cooler colors (blue, with purple shades) in higher latitudes. Contrasting taxonomic interpretations of this color variation lead to the recognition of distinct species for the different color morphs. In all three case studies investigated in this work (Euglossa iopoecila, Euglossa stellfeldi, and Euglossa townsendi), the different forms were sampled throughout their distribution. Thirty samples from 16 different localities were used, which had their DNA extracted, amplified, and sequenced for fragments of the genes cytochrome b (cytb) and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (CO1). A concatenated data matrix, totaling 1,089 bp, was submitted for Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses. The resulting phylogenetic trees, together with the estimated genetic distances between samples, led to the conclusion that the different color morphs in all the three case studies do not represent separate species, but only integumental color variations of their respective species.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Thomas Eltz for providing the specimens of E. townsendi from Mexico, Marcos Barbeitos for his help with the maximum likelihood analysis, and Kevin A. Williams for his suggestions to an earlier version of the manuscript. GARM thanks Vitor Becker for granting access and for helping during the collection trip to RPPN Serra Bonita and Marco A. Costa for his help during collection trips to Bahia. ICMBio is thanked for the collecting permits and CNPq for financial support (grant 304053/2012-0).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Biologia Comparada de Hymenoptera, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 19020, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, Brazil

    Bruno R. Ferrari & Gabriel A. R. Melo

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  1. Bruno R. Ferrari
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  2. Gabriel A. R. Melo
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Correspondence to Gabriel A. R. Melo.

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Manuscript editor: Marina Meixner

Couleurs trompeuses: la reconnaissance de morphes différant par la couleur comme des espèces séparées chez les abeilles à orchidées n’a pas de fondement moléculaire

Forêt atlantique / Brésil / Euglossini / ADN mitochondrial / taxonomie moléculaire

Trügerische Farben: die Anerkennung von Prachtbienen-Farbmorphen als getrennte Arten wird durch molekulare Daten nicht unterstützt

Atlantischer Wald / Euglossini / mitochondriale DNA / molekulare Taxonomie

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Ferrari, B.R., Melo, G.A.R. Deceiving colors: recognition of color morphs as separate species in orchid bees is not supported by molecular evidence. Apidologie 45, 641–652 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-014-0280-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-014-0280-7

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