A comprehensive phylogeographic study of Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Arionidae) in Europe

Organisms Diversity & Evolution - Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 is regarded as one of the 100 most invasive species in Europe. The native distribution range of this species is uncertain,...     

A new genus in the diverse Andean Pedaliodes complex uncovered using target enrichment (Lepidoptera,Nymphalidae)

A new genus of Neotropical Satyrinae butterflies, Viloriodes Pyrcz & Espeland gen. n. is described in the Pedaliodes Butler complex comprising 11–13 genera and more than 400 species. Support for the new genus is provided by a phylogenetic analysis based on target enrichment (TE) data including 618 nuclear loci with a total of 248,940 nucleotides, and the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Five species, whose DNA sequences were obtained by TE during this study, form a strongly supported clade sister to the large clade comprising Pedaliodes and four other genera. Complementary COI analysis confirms the monophyly of Viloriodes gen. n., with the above five plus eight other species clustering in highly supported clades in both Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses, and a TE + COI concatenated tree. Based on molecular and morphological data, 30 species are assigned to Viloriodes gen. n. The new genus can be recognized by a set of subtle morphological characteristics of colour patterns and male and female genitalia. An analysis of divergence times indicates that Viloriodes gen. n. and Steromapedaliodes Forster separated around 5.9 Mya. Viloriodes gen. n. has a wider geographic distribution than any other genus of the Pedaliodes complex, being found from central Mexico to northern Argentina and to the Guyana Shield, typically occurring at lower elevations than Pedaliodes.     

Relationships within aphids Cinara (Cupressobium) (Hemiptera) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

The relationships between Cinara (Cupressobium) aphids inhabiting woody parts and leaves of conifers belonging to Cupressaceae have been studied using a mitochondrial gene (COI) and a nuclear gene (EF1-α). Based on the COI sequences, genetic distances between species ranged from 5.6 % between Cinara (C.) tujafilina (del Guercio) and Cinara (C.) juniperi (De Geer) to 10.5 % between C. (C.) tujafilina and Cinara (C.) mordvilkoi (Pa?ek). Genetic distances among EF1-α sequences were lower and showed from 0.1 % between C. cupressi and C. juniperi to 2.3 % between C. tujafilina and C. mordvilkoi. Molecular phylogenetic trees were constructed using the Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic analysis and maximum parsimony (MP) criterion. Phylogenetic trees obtained based on COI and EF1-α marker genes created two sister clades. Our results indicate that Cinara (Cupressobium) are a monophyletic group of aphids. Phylogenetic relationships amongst Cupressobium aphids do not result from the association with the host plant, but from the feeding site on the host plant or an ability to change the microhabitat on the plant. As closely related species inhabit similar microhabitats on different host plants, it suggests that the host switching is the main mode of speciation in this subgenus.     

Conservation genetics of endangered leaf-beetle Cheilotoma musciformis populations in Poland

Steppe-like habitats in Europe are seriously threatened as a result of fragmentation and anthropogenic degradation, at least in western and central parts. Considering the dramatic loss of steppe-like habitats, the evaluation of genetic variation in populations of steppe species is of immediate importance if appropriate conservation measures are to be undertaken. In this paper, we examine the genetic diversity of the highly endangered populations of the leaf-beetle Cheilotoma musciformis, which inhabits only a limited area in south-central Poland, which is geographically isolated from the continuous range of this species. Both mitochondrial and nuclear markers show that the Polish populations are distinct from Slovakian and Ukrainian ones. These regional populations should be considered independent conservation units. On the other hand, very little (mtDNA) or no (nuclear DNA) diversity has been found among the Polish subpopulations. This leads to the conclusion that this species has gone through a strong bottleneck leading to a drastic reduction in its genetic diversity prior to the establishment of present-day populations. Host plants have been identified for this species using barcodes, and the only hosts for the Polish and Ukrainian samples are sainfoins Onobrychis spp. while for the Slovakian sample it is either Dorycnium pentaphyllum or Lotus spp. (all Fabaceae). All of these data can be very valuable for the conservation of C. musciformis populations (e.g. for reintroductions).