Mitochondrial lineage sorting in action--historical biogeography of the Hyles euphorbiae complex (Sphingidae, Lepidoptera) in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mitochondrial genes are among the most commonly used markers in studies of species' phylogeography and to draw conclusions about taxonomy. The Hyles euphorbiae complex (HEC) comprises six distinct mitochondrial lineages in the Mediterranean region, of which one exhibits a cryptic disjunct distribution. The predominant mitochondrial lineage in most of Europe, euphorbiae, is also present on Malta; however, it is nowadays strangely absent from Southern Italy and Sicily, where it is replaced by 'italica'. A separate biological entity in Italy is further corroborated by larval colour patterns with a congruent, confined suture zone along the Northern Apennines. By means of historic DNA extracted from museum specimens, we aimed to investigate the evolution of the mitochondrial

SUBMITTER: Mende MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3655913 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature