A re-examination of the West European species of Boreonectes Angus, 2010, with particular reference to B. multilineatus (Falkenström, 1922) (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)

By

Angus, Robert B.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

Comparative cytogenetics : international journal of plant & animal cytogenetics, karyosystematics and molecular systematics

Volume

15

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

23--39

Subjects

B. multilineatus , Boreonectes , Chromosomes , Coleoptera , distributions , Dytiscidae , Pleistocene fossils , Pyrenees

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

St. Petersburg, Russia [Published] with technical support of Zoological Institute RAS [2007]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/compcytogen.v15.i1.60188

 

Abstract

The West European species of Boreonectes Angus, 2010 are reviewed. B. multilineatus (Falkenström, 1922) is shown to be widely distributed in the Pyrenees, where it is the only species known to occur. The chromosomes of all five west European species are found to have, in addition their different numbers of chromosomes, differences in the number and locations of secondary constrictions, and in some cases, the number of chromosomes with clear centromeric C-bands. The level of differences between the chromosomes of the species is in stark contrast with the very slight genetic (DNA) differences between them and this suggests that chromosome differentiation may have been a driver of speciation. Two of the species, B. griseostriatus (De Geer, 1774) and B. multilineatus, have distributions extending northwards as far as Arctic Scandinavia. It is pointed out that, while these northern areas now constitute the major portions of their ranges, they must be of fairly recent origins as most of the area would have been covered by ice sheets and therefore not habitable during the glacial maximum of the Last Glaciation. This contrasts with the situation in the area of the Central European mountains where fossil faunas, including Boreonectes, are known. B. griseostriatus, identifiable to species by its parameres, was present in the Woolly Rhinoceros site at Starunia in the Western Ukraine, and this fauna is discussed as well as an English fauna of similar age.