DNA barcode library of megadiverse Austrian Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) – a nearly perfect match of Linnean taxonomy

By

Huemer, Peter
Wieser, Christian
Stark, Wolfgang
Hebert, Paul
Wiesmair, Benjamin

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-08-07

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

7

Pages

1--20

Subjects

Austria , COI gene , DNA barcoding , Lepidoptera , Noctuoidea , species identification

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.7.e37734
eLocator: e37734

 

Abstract

The aim of the study was to establish a nationwide barcode library for the most diverse group of Austrian Lepidoptera, the Noctuoidea, with 5 families (Erebidae, Euteliidae, Noctuidae, Nolidae, Notodontidae) and around 690 species. Altogether, 3431 DNA barcode sequences from COI gene (cytochrome c oxidase 1) belonging to 671 species were gathered, with 3223 sequences >500 bp. The intraspecific divergence with a mean of only 0.17% is low in most species whereas interspecific distances to the Nearest Neighbour are significantly higher with an average of 4.95%. Diagnostic DNA barcodes were obtained for 658 species. Only 13 species (1.9% of the Austrian Noctuoidea) cannot be reliably identified from their DNA barcode (Setina aurita/Setina irrorella,Conisania leineri/Conisania poelli,Photedes captiuncula/Photedes minima,Euxoa obelisca/Euxoa vitta/Euxoa tritici,Mesapamaea secalella/Mesapamea secalis,Amphipoea fucosa/Amphipoea lucens). A similarly high identification performance was achieved by the Barcode Index (BIN) system. 671 species of Austrian Noctuoidea, representing 3202 records with BINs, are assigned to a total of 678 BINs. The vast majority of 649 species is placed into a single BIN, with only 13 species recognised as BIN-sharing (including the barcode sharing species above). Twenty-one species were assigned to more than one BIN and have to be checked for cryptic diversity in the future.