Table 1 Results of morphometric analyses of the Pallenopsis patagonica species complex for both data sets (absolute and relative values). Contributions to correctness rate (CR), characters combination for the best LDA performance and p-values for significant differences between geographic regions and sexes are listed

abdomen W

34 (2.4%)

0.05 ± 0.03

<  0.001

–

19 (1.23%)

0.09 ± 0.04

–

–

abdomen L

27 (1.9%)

0.21 ± 0.15

<  0.001

–

2 (0.13%)

0.09 ± 0.01

–

–

eye H

115 (8.11%)

0.22 ± 0.11

x

<  0.001

–

15 (0.97%)

0.1 ± 0.06

–

–

eyes distance

6 (0.42%)

0.06 ± 0.03

–

–

22 (1.43%)

0.08 ± 0.03

–

–

ocular tubercle W

15 (1.06%)

0.05 ± 0.03

x

0.004

–

24 (1.56%)

0.08 ± 0.05

–

–

ocular tubercle H

147 (10.37%)

0.1 ± 0.07

x

–

–

102 (6.63%)

0.12 ± 0.05

x

0.005

0.012

ceph. segment

36 (2.54%)

0.09 ± 0.08

<  0.001

–

24 (1.56%)

0.11 ± 0.06

0.012

–

cheliphore 1

136 (9.59%)

0.2 ± 0.13

x

<  0.001

–

2 (0.13%)

0.11 ± 0.01

0.048

–

cheliphore 2

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

5 (0.32%)

0.09 ± 0.03

x

–

–

cheliphore 3

5 (0.35%)

0.05 ± 0.02

<  0.001

–

1 (0.06%)

0.1

0.027

–

cheliphore 4

8 (0.56%)

0.06 ± 0.03

0.001

–

23 (1.49%)

0.09 ± 0.04

–

–

palp

41 (2.89%)

0.11 ± 0.1

0.001

–

198 (12.87%)

0.16 ± 0.08

x

–

–

proboscis thick2tip

136 (9.59%)

0.11 ± 0.06

–

–

83 (5.39%)

0.15 ± 0.08

–

–

proboscis basis

23 (1.62%)

0.11 ± 0.07

<  0.001

0.027

6 (0.39%)

0.06 ± 0.05

–

–

proboscis thickest

29 (2.05%)

0.17 ± 0.14

<  0.001

–

7 (0.45%)

0.07 ± 0.05

0.001

–

proboscis L

2 (0.14%)

0.02 ± 0.01

<  0.001

–

13 (0.84%)

0.06 ± 0.03

<  0.001

–

trunk W1

90 (6.35%)

0.11 ± 0.07

<  0.001

–

41 (2.66%)

0.11 ± 0.05

0.004

0.022

trunk W12

30 (2.12%)

0.09 ± 0.06

0.048

–

168 (10.92%)

0.17 ± 0.09

x

<  0.001

–

trunk W2

8 (0.56%)

0.07 ± 0.05

0.001

–

18 (1.17%)

0.07 ± 0.05

–

–

trunk W23

55 (3.88%)

0.08 ± 0.05

–

–

81 (5.26%)

0.12 ± 0.06

<  0.001

–

trunk W3

98 (6.91%)

0.1 ± 0.07

<  0.001

–

61 (3.96%)

0.1 ± 0.06

0.034

–

trunk W34

15 (1.06%)

0.06 ± 0.03

–

–

73 (4.74%)

0.11 ± 0.05

<  0.001

0.042

trunk W4

5 (0.35%)

0.03 ± 0

<  0.001

–

23 (1.49%)

0.15 ± 0.09

–

0.037

trunk H

1 (0.07%)

0.03

–

–

20 (1.3%)

0.1 ± 0.04

–

–

trunk L

48 (3.39%)

0.11 ± 0.11

<  0.001

–

NA

NA

NA

NA

forehead H

69 (4.87%)

0.07 ± 0.04

x

0.029

–

45 (2.92%)

0.09 ± 0.04

–

–

WL1 coxa1

17 (1.2%)

0.16 ± 0.08

<  0.001

–

45 (2.92%)

0.1 ± 0.05

–

–

WL1 coxa2

27 (1.9%)

0.1 ± 0.09

0.001

–

60 (3.9%)

0.12 ± 0.06

0.012

0.034

WL1 coxa3

4 (0.28%)

0.07 ± 0.03

0.002

–

3 (0.19%)

0.09 ± 0.05

–

–

WL1 femur

7 (0.49%)

0.04 ± 0.02

<  0.001

0.009

NA

NA

NA

NA

WL2 coxa1

NA

NA

NA

NA

15 (0.97%)

0.06 ± 0.03

–

–

WL2 coxa2

20 (1.41%)

0.17 ± 0.12

0.001

–

66 (4.29%)

0.17 ± 0.11

0.041

0.016

WL2 coxa3

NA

NA

NA

NA

4 (0.26%)

0.08 ± 0.04

–

–

WL3 coxa1

7 (0.49%)

0.11 ± 0.05

0.001

–

21 (1.36%)

0.09 ± 0.04

–

0.023

WL3 coxa3

12 (0.85%)

0.2 ± 0.1

<  0.001

0.008

19 (1.23%)

0.08 ± 0.05

<  0.001

–

WL4 coxa1

5 (0.35%)

0.18 ± 0.13

<  0.001

–

1 (0.06%)

0.07

–

–

WL4 coxa2

59 (4.16%)

0.19 ± 0.14

<  0.001

–

160 (10.4%)

0.16 ± 0.1

x

–

0.042

WL4 coxa3

2 (0.14%)

0.07 ± 0

<  0.001

0.038

3 (0.19%)

0.08 ± 0.04

–

–

WL4 propodus

8 (0.56%)

0.14 ± 0.16

<  0.001

–

22 (1.43%)

0.09 ± 0.04

–

–

WL4 tarsus

11 (0.78%)

0.1 ± 0.06

<  0.001

0.025

2 (0.13%)

0.08 ± 0.06

–

–

WL4 tibia2

60 (4.23%)

0.2 ± 0.13

<  0.001

–

42 (2.73%)

0.11 ± 0.06

–

–