Species delimitation in the Grayling genus Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) supported by DNA barcodes

By

Verovnik, Rudi, 1970-
Wiemers, Martin, 1966-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

600

Pages

131-154

Subjects

Barcoding , Butterflies , Papilionoidea , Phylogeny , Satyrinae , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.600.7798

 

Abstract

The Palaearctic Grayling genus Pseudochazara encompasses a number of petrophilous butterfly species, most of which are local endemics especially in their centre of radiation in SW Asia and the Balkans. Due to a lack of consistent morphological characters, coupled with habitat induced variability, their taxonomy is poorly understood and species delimitation is hampered. We employed a DNA barcoding approach to address the question of separate species status for several European taxa and provide first insight into the phylogeny of the genus. Unexpectedly we found conflicting patterns with deep divergences between presumably conspecific taxa and lack of divergence among well-defined species. We propose separate species status for P. tisiphone, P. amalthea, P. amymone, and P. kermana all of which have separate well supported clades, with the majority of them becoming local endemics. Lack of resolution in the ‘Mamurra’ species group with well-defined species (in terms of wing pattern and coloration) such as P. geyeri, P. daghestana and P. alpina should be further explored using nuclear molecular markers with higher genetic resolution.