Myrmecophilus baronii Baccetti, 1966: biogeography and genetics (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae)

Abstract

The presence of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus baronii Baccetti, 1966 is reconfirmed from the island of Pantelleria (Italy, Sicilian Channel), while new evidence of population clusters from northwest Malta is brought to light. The species is known from three separate geographical areas within the Mediterranean, spatially isolated from one another by the sea. Malta and Tunisia lie on opposite flanks of the Strait of Sicily, while Pantelleria, an island volcano of Quaternary age, lies on the graben that bisects the central Mediterranean area. The occurrence of the species in these three locations underscores the relevance of island biogeography in respect to taxa that lack the capacity to disperse over long  distances unaided, as is the case of myrmecophilous crickets. The study considers passive dispersal, including sweepstakes routes, as a potential means of dispersal by M. baronii. It also includes an integrative systematics approach using both morphology and barcode sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA region and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses reveal that Myrmecophilus baronii, M. orientalis and M. ochraceus do not cluster with other Myrmecophilus species that had been DNA barcoded thus far. Given the species’ conservation status, notably its Habitats Directive designation as a priority species within European territory, this work provides new insight into habitat preferences and thus provides an important basis for conservation of this species.