Genetic variation and Wolbachia infection status of the lycaenid butterfly Zizina emelina (Lepidoptera,Lycaenidae) from Korean populations

The lycaenid butterfly Zizina emelina emelina (de l’Orza) (previously Zizina otis emelina; Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) has populations distributed across Japan and Korea. Zizina emelina is listed on Japan’s Red List as an endangered species, owing to the loss of its principal plant food and habitat. Researchers previously investigated the genetic diversity and structure in Japanese populations by using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses alongside their Wolbachia infection status to consider the conservation strategy. In this study, we investigated the genetic variation and Wolbachia infection status of Korean populations and compared our findings with these traits in the Japanese populations. Four novel mitochondrial haplotypes were found in the Korean populations, whereas nuclear DNA analysis revealed one new haplotype and another that matched the one reported previously in Japan. The two known strains of Wolbachia in the Japanese populations were also found in the Korean ones. Mitochondrial DNA analysis demonstrated that no gene flow had occurred between the Japanese and Korean populations. The fact that they share the same nuclear haplotype and Wolbachia strains, however, indicates a low level of population differentiation between the two.