DNA barcoding reveals twelve lineages with properties of phylogenetic and biological species within Melitaea didyma sensu lato (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae).

ABSTRACT: The complex of butterfly taxa close to Melitaea didyma includes the traditionally recognized species Melitaea didyma, Melitaea didymoides and Melitaea sutschana, the taxa that were recognized as species only relatively recently (Melitaea latonigena, Melitaea interrupta, Melitaea chitralensis and Melitaea mixta) as well as numerous described subspecies and forms with unclear taxonomic status. Here analysis of mitochondrial DNA barcodes is used to demonstrate that this complex is monophyletic group consisting of at least 12 major haplogroups strongly differentiated with respect to the gene COI. Six of these haplogroups are shown to correspond to six of the above-mentioned species (Melitaea didymoides, Melitaea sutschana, Melitaea latonigena, Melitaea interrupta, Melitaea chitralensis and Mel

SUBMITTER: Pazhenkova EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4722858 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature