02334nas a2200217 4500008004100000022001400041245014300055210006900198260001500267300001400282490000700296520161500303653001801918653002501936653001901961653002501980653001802005100001902023700002702042856004702069 2018 eng d a1445-522600aMolecular phylogeny and systematics of the centipede genus Ethmostigmus Pocock (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) from peninsular India0 aMolecular phylogeny and systematics of the centipede genus iEthm c04/12/2018 a1316-13350 v323 a

Integrative taxonomy assesses the congruence between different lines of evidence for delimiting species, such as morphological, molecular or ecological data. Herein molecular phylogenetics is used to test monophyly and determine the phylogenetic position of the Old World tropical centipede genus Ethmostigmus Pocock, 1898, and to define species boundaries for Ethmostigmus in peninsular India. A phylogeny of the family Scolopendridae based on DNA sequence data for three markers from 427 specimens sampling in all major lineages (144 individuals generated in this study) recovers Ethmostigmus as a monophyletic group, but relationships among the genera in its subfamily Otostigminae are poorly supported. Two species delimitation methods for DNA sequence data and phylogeny are integrated with morphology and geographic data to propose a well-supported species hypothesis for Ethmostigmus on the peninsular Indian plate. Five species of Ethmostigmus are recognised in peninsular India, of which E. coonooranus Chamberlin, 1920 and three new species, namely, E. agasthyamalaiensis, sp. nov., E. sahyadrensis, sp. nov. and E. praveeni, sp. nov., occur in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. The lesser-known Eastern Ghats harbour one species, E. tristis (Meinert, 1886), which has been nearly unreported for 130 years. This study highlights the value of an integrative approach to systematics, especially in underexplored, high biodiversity regions and where morphological variation is limited among closely related species.

10aEastern Ghats10aintegrative taxonomy10aScolopendridae10aspecies delimitation10aWestern Ghats1 aJoshi, Jahnavi1 aEdgecombe, Gregory, D. uhttp://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=IS18030