Phylogeography of Falagonia mexicana Sharp, 1883 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae)

By

Reyes, Justo
Espinosa de los Monteros, Alejandro
Santiago-Jiménez, Quiyari

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1156

Pages

107--131

Subjects

“false Lomechusini” , Cytochrome oxidase I , Mesoamerica , mtDNA

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1156.84943

 

Abstract

Falagonia mexicanais an aleocharine distributed from northern Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador. It is associated withAtta mexicanaants and lives within their piles of waste or external debris. The phylogeography and historical demography of 18 populations from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador were studied. The data set encompasses a 472 bp fragment of the COI. Results suggest thatF. mexicanawas originated during Middle Pliocene (ca. 0.5 Mya), starting its diversification at the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. Populations were recovered forming at least four main lineages, with a significant phylogeographic structure. Evidence of contemporary restricted gene flow was found among populations. The historical demography suggests that the geographic structure is due to recent physical barriers (e.g., Isthmus of Tehuantepec) rather than ancient geological events. Also, recent geological and volcanic events in the east of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Sierra Madre Oriental might be responsible for the restricted gene flow among populations. Skyline-plot analyses suggested that a demographic expansion event took place at the end of the Late Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles.