Relationships within the Melitaea phoebe species group (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): new insights from molecular and morphometric information. (11th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: TÓTH, JÁNOS P.; BERECZKI, JUDIT; VARGA, ZOLTÁN; ROTA, JADRANKA; SRAMKÓ, GÁBOR; WAHLBERG, NIKLAS
• Is Part Of: Systematic entomology. Volume 39:Number 4(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 749
• Page End: 757
• Publication Date: 2014-06-11
• Subjects: Insects -- Classification -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.7012
• DOI: 10.1111/syen.12083
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0307-6970

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="syen12083-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="syen12083-para-0001">The genus <italic>Melitaea</italic> consists of about 80 species, divided into ten species groups, which are all restricted to the Palaearctic region. The <italic>Melitaea phoebe</italic> group was defined by Higgins based on morphological characters such as wing pattern and genital structures. According to his interpretation, the <italic>M. phoebe</italic> group included seven species: <italic>M. phoebe</italic>, <italic>M. sibina</italic>, <italic>M. scotosia</italic>, <italic>M. aetherie</italic>, <italic>M. collina</italic>, <italic>M. consulis</italic> and <italic>M. turkmanica</italic>. The taxonomy of the <italic>phoebe</italic> species group has been poorly resolved and recent results on the species composition within the group suggest the need for a re‐evaluation. In this study molecular sequences (5985 bp) including one mitochondrial (<italic>COI</italic>) and up to six nuclear (<italic>CAD</italic>, <italic>EF</italic>‐<italic>1α</italic>, <italic>GAPDH</italic>, <italic>MDH</italic>, <italic>RpS5</italic> and <italic>wingless</italic>) gene regions from 38 specimens of the <italic>Melitaea phoebe</italic> species group <italic>sensu</italic> Higgins and some closely related taxa from the Palaearctic region were analysed. The possible evolution of the processus posterior of the male genitalia was also reconstructed based on a shape mapping technique. The analysis of the combined data shows a very clear pattern and almost all relationships are highly supported. Based on the combined Bayesian tree and the shape of the processus posterior of the male genitalia, four main groups are recognised: (i) <italic>collina</italic> group, (ii) <italic>arduinna</italic> group, (iii) <italic>aetherie</italic> group and (iv) <italic>phoebe</italic> group. The status of <italic>M. ornata</italic>, <italic>M. zagrosi</italic> and <italic>M. scotosia</italic> as species is confirmed, and the results also indicate that <italic>M. telona</italic> (<italic>s.s.</italic>) from Israel is a separate species.</p> </abstract>