Life Sciences Commons^™

Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of African Water Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Grayia), Teslin Chaney

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Grayia is a genus of relatively large (1.5 - 2.5 m) aquatic Afrotropical snakes. Recent molecular phylogenies recovered Grayia in its own distinct subfamily (Grayiinae), which was strongly supported as the sister group to Colubrinae. Because tropical African snakes are generally understudied, the relationships within Grayia are poorly known. Due to high degrees of intra- and interspecies variation, identification is often difficult and previous studies involving Grayia included misidentified specimens in other genera. The goal of this study is to create a phylogenetic tree that can be used to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Grayia via an integrative taxonomic …

A Taxonomic Revision Of The New World Hypoponera Santschi, 1938 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Shawn Thomas Dash

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The New World taxa of the pantropic ant genus Hypoponera (Ponerinae: Ponerini) is revised for the first time. The 55 previously recognized taxa have been evaluated using morphological and, when possible, ecological and biogeographical data to resolve taxon validity and species limits. Currently I recognize 42 species of Hypoponera , a number of which are new. I propose the following taxonomic outline: Hypoponera agilis (Borgmeier), Hypoponera aliena (F. Smith), Hypoponera antoniensis (Forel) stat. nov., Hypoponera apateae sp. nov., Hypoponera capilosa sp. nov., Hypoponera clinei sp. nov., Hypoponera clavatula (Emery) [= fiebrigi (Forel) syn. nov., = neglecta (Santschi) syn. nov.], Hypoponera …

Revision Of The Ant Genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Cephalotini), Francisco Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ants of the genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located directly posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed in most species. I present an in-group comparison of the external morphology focusing on the workers. I also present a general morphology for gynes and males. I analize previously mentioned characters as well as new ones, and clarify their character states in different species. For the metasoma I propose a new system of ant metasomal …

Revision Of The Ant Genus Crematogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In North America, Cynthia Ellen Morgan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The natural history of thirty-eight species of the genus Crematogaster in North America has been discussed and distribution of specimens mapped. A dichotomous key to the workers of these species has been developed. I hypothesized that the species richness is not as great as previously thought in North America. A taxonomic review of these species has been made with the following changes:

Crematogaster cerasi Fitch 1855 senior synonym of C. browni Buren1968.

C. coarctata Mayr 1870 senior synonym of C. californica Emery 1895, C. mormonum

Emery 1895 and C. colei Buren1968.

C. depilis Wheeler 1919 senior synonym of C. larreae …