Several morphological races and subspecies have been described and later included within the terrestrial isopod species Porcellionides pruinosus. During our study of this species, we have worked on specimens from France, Greece, Tunisia and Re union island. Laboratory crosses have revealed two separate groups of populations: French populations (four localities) in one group, and those from Tunisia, Re union island and Greece in the other. French individuals were reproductively isolated from those of the other populations. We have undertaken a survey of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphism in these seven populations. We observed two groups of mitotypes corresponding to the two groups of populations. Interfertility experiments between populations and the mitochondrial genetic distances between mitotypes both suggest the presence of two di erent species, one in France and one in Greece, Tunisia and Re union island. The two species harbour, respectively, two di erent Wolbachia lines. Another feature of the molecular genetic analysis was the apparent mitochondrial monomorphism in the French populations and the low variability in the other three populations. The result can be related to the possibility of Wolbachia-induced genetic hitchhiking in these populations.

The crustacean isopod Armadillidium vulgare is characterized by an unusual approximately 42-kb-long mitochondrial genome consisting of two molecules co-occurring in mitochondria: a circular approximately 28-kb dimer formed by two approximately 14-kb monomers fused in opposite polarities and a linear approximately 14-kb monomer. Here we determined the nucleotide sequence of the fundamental monomeric unit of A. vulgare mitochondrial genome, to gain new insight into its structure and evolution. Our results suggest that the junction zone between monomers of the dimer structure is located in or near the control region. Direct sequencing indicated that the nucleotide sequences of the different monomer units are virtually identical. This suggests that gene conversion and/or replication processes play an important role in shaping nucleotide sequence variation in this mitochondrial genome. The only heteroplasmic site we identified predicts an alloacceptor tRNA change from tRNA(Ala) to tRNA(Val). Therefore, in A. vulgare, tRNA(Ala) and tRNA(Val) are found at the same locus in different monomers, ensuring that both tRNAs are present in mitochondria. The presence of this heteroplasmic site in all sequenced individuals suggests that the polymorphism is selectively maintained, probably because of the necessity of both tRNAs for maintaining proper mitochondrial functions. Thus, our results provide empirical evidence for the tRNA gene recruitment model of tRNA evolution. Moreover, interspecific comparisons showed that the A. vulgare mitochondrial gene order is highly derived compared to the putative ancestral arthropod type. By contrast, an overall high conservation of mitochondrial gene order is observed within crustacean isopods.

1. The white‐clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes has a widespread distribution in Europe, but since the last century its distribution has been severely affected by a combination of factors, particularly the disease crayfish plague, introduced by foreign crayfish species. At present A. pallipes is considered as vulnerable and endangered and measures are being taken in a number of countries to conserve it. 2. The application of genetics to conservation is of practical value particularly where restocking is being considered. This study assesses levels of genetic differentiation from an analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation by restriction fragment length polymorphism of four populations sampled on a European scale. Six different composite haplotypes were detected among sixty‐four crayfish representing the four populations. mtDNA nucleon diversity values within species ranged from 0.63% to 12.35%. A close genetic similarity was found between British and French populations of A. pallipes. 3. Results show that mtDNA can be as a suitable diagnostic marker for measuring genetic diversity between crayfish populations and that such information is of use in planning crayfish conservation strategies.