n integrative description of a population of Mesobiotus radiatus (Pilato, Binda & Catanzaro, 1991) from Kenya

Authors: DANIEL STEC, MILENA ROSZKOWSKA, LUKASZ KACZMAREK, LUKASZ MICHALCZYK

Abstract: In a moss sample collected from Mount Kulal in Kenya, a new population of Mesobiotus radiatus was found. Given that the original description of M. radiatus was based solely on the morphology observed by light microscopy and measurements based mostly on a single individual, here we describe the new population by means of integrative taxonomy and a large sample size. We provide an integrative description comprising a comprehensive set of morphometric and morphological data from light and scanning microscopy as well as nucleotide sequences of three nuclear fragments (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2) and one mitochondrial fragment (COI). Mesobiotus radiatus is most similar to M. binieki, M. coronatus, M. patiens, M. perfidus, M. philippinicus, M. pseudocoronatus, M. pseudopatiens, M. rigidus, M. simulans, and M. wuzhishanensis, but differs from them mainly by egg morphology and morphometry, and some characters of adult specimens.

Keywords: Africa, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, COI, ITS-2, Mesobiotus harmsworthi group, integrative taxonomy

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