Does the DNA barcoding gap exist? - a case study in blue butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).

ABSTRACT:

Background

DNA barcoding, i.e. the use of a 648 bp section of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I, has recently been promoted as useful for the rapid identification and discovery of species. Its success is dependent either on the strength of the claim that interspecific variation exceeds intraspecific variation by one order of magnitude, thus establishing a "barcoding gap", or on the reciprocal monophyly of species.

Results

We present an analysis of intra- and interspecific variation in the butterfly family Lycaenidae which includes a well-sampled clade (genus Agrodiaetus) with a peculiar characteristic: most of its members are karyologically differentiated from each other which facilitates the recognition of species as reproductively isolated units even in allopat

SUBMITTER: Wiemers M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1838910 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature