Eur. J. Entomol. 97 (1): 85-94, 2000 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2000.016
Separation of Aspidiotes species using morphometric analysis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
- Dpto. Biodiversidad y Biologia Evolutiva Entomologia, Museo Nacional de Naturales (C.S.I.C.), c/o José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain; e-mail: manuel_sr@mncn.csic.es
The efficacy of morphometric characters for separating the species of the genus Aspidiotes Schoenherr, 1847, was evaluated. Thirty characters were analyzed. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance, and discriminant function analysis, all dem onstrated that each species is morphometrically distinguishable. The lengths of rostrum, scape, onychium, pronotum, and width and length of elytra have the maximum discriminatory power. Males and females are also morphometrically distinguishable, mainly due to differences in the widths of rostrum between pterigia and at base of pronotum, and width and length of elytra. The classification functions provided by discriminant gave the correct identification of every single specimen by sex and species. Mahalanobis' distances between species were calculated and subjected to UPGMA clustering, to construct a dendrogram reflecting the morphometric relationships between species. This dendrogram did not correspond to the phylogenetic relationships depicted by a cladogram based on discrete characters (Sánchez-Ruiz & Alonso-Zarazaga, 1994). Some hypotheses are reviewed, which might explain this discrepancy.
Keywords: Morphometrics, taxonomy, discrimination, Aspidiotes, Curculionidae
Accepted: March 4, 1999; Published: April 15, 2000 Show citation
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