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Conservation genetics of highly isolated populations of the xerothermic beetle C rioceris quatuordecimpunctata ( C hrysomelidae)
Author(s) -
Kubisz Daniel,
Kajtoch Łukasz,
Mazur Miłosz A.,
Lis Agata,
Holecová Milada
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
invertebrate biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.486
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1744-7410
pISSN - 1077-8306
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2012.00276.x
Subject(s) - biology , threatened species , genetic diversity , conservation genetics , monophyly , mitochondrial dna , evolutionary biology , genetic divergence , ecology , population , zoology , allele , habitat , genetics , phylogenetics , microsatellite , clade , demography , sociology , gene
Xerothermic species are rare and threatened in central and eastern E urope. In light of the continuing loss of steppe‐like habitats due to anthropogenic fragmentation and degradation, the evaluation of genetic variation in populations inhabiting them is of immediate importance if appropriate conservation measures are to be undertaken. Here we report on the genetic diversity of the rare leaf beetle C rioceris quatuordecimpunctata , whose populations in central and eastern E urope inhabit highly geographically isolated areas. All of the studied populations (in P oland, U kraine, and S lovakia) were differentiated at the mitochondrial marker COI . However, with respect to the nuclear marker ITS 1, P olish populations were monomorphic, but distinct from all other populations. The distinctiveness of the studied populations was confirmed by W olbachia screening, which showed that all populations carried different strains (one or two), which were probably transferred independently from other insects. On the other hand, no diversity was found in any marker within particular populations, which could be caused (at least for mt DNA ) by a W olbachia selective sweep. Crioceris quatuordecimpunctata probably consists of isolated populations, which went through narrow bottlenecks leading to a drastic reduction in their genetic diversity. As these populations are reciprocally monophyletic for mt DNA haplotypes and show a significant divergence of allele frequencies at nuclear loci, they could be classified as evolutionarily significant units ( ESU s). In addition, DNA barcodes were used to identify A sparagus officinalis as the host plant for members of all studied populations. These data should be valuable in efforts to conserve populations of C. quatuordecimpunctata (e.g., for guiding reintroductions).