Animal mitochondrial genes continue to provide an efficient and inexpensive assessment of genetic diversity. However, which mitochondrial genes should be selected to best estimate species phylogeny and population genealogy remains uncertain for most under-sampled taxa. We analysed four complete mitochondrial genomes of sibling species of Euphaea damselflies, E. decorata, E. ornata, E. formosa and E. yayeyamana (Insecta, Odonata, Euphaeidae), to examine the patterns of selection and to evaluate the phylogenetic utility of the mitochondrial genes compared with nuclear genes. The results indicated that mitochondrial protein-coding nad2 (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) and noncoding A + T-rich (control region) genes have the highest mutation rates and more phylogenetic utility [higher parsimony-informative sites; higher (the shape parameter of gamma distribution); lower rates of heterogeneity among sites; and higher relative substitution rates] than all the other mitochondrial and nuclear genes analysed. In contrast, the animal DNA barcoding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) had average values for all estimated parameters of phylogenetic performance and was sometimes outperformed by other mitochondrial genes. The majority of the mitochondrial and nuclear genes in Euphaea damselflies have experienced frequent purifying selection, except for two cases of potential positive selection in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 (nad3) and elongation factor 1 (EF1 ), and all mitochondrial genes had experienced stronger purifying selection than nuclear genes. Our findings indicated that mitochondrial nad2 and the A + T-rich region should be selected to provide efficient and high-resolution phylogenetic markers for damselflies at the species and population level.

Odonate larvae are commonly considered opportunistic general predators in freshwater ecosystems. However, the dietary breadth of most odonate larvae in forest streams is still poorly documented. We characterized the prey species and estimated the level of dietary niche overlap of two damselflies, Euphaea formosa Hagen 1869 and Matrona cyanoptera Hämäläinen and Yeh, 2000 in a forest stream of central Taiwan on the basis of DNA barcoding of larval feces. A collection of 23 successfully identified cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) barcoding sequences suggested that the mayflies (Ephemeroptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), and midges (Diptera) comprise the majority (43%, 6/14) of prey species consumed by E. formosa larvae, whereas the identified prey for M. cyanoptera were mainly zooplankton (56%, 5/9). Statistical analysis of dietary overlap indicated that these two species occupy different dietary niches (Pianka’s index = 0.219). DNA barcoding analysis of damselfly larval feces was effective in detecting less sclerotized prey such as vertebrates (fish and frog) and small zooplankton. However, a moderately successful rate (<70%) of PCR amplification by universal CO1 primers and a low percentage (<60%) of identifiable sequences in public databases indicate the limitations of naive DNA barcoding in fecal analysis.

Aim:The wild camel (Camelus ferus) is a native species to the deserts of Central Asia. Further, it is considered a first class protected animal in China. This study aims to explore the daily activity rhythm and native ranges of wild camels both spatially and temporally, so as to provide data support for effective protection and management of wild camels in this region. Methods: GPS tracking collars were used to gather movement data for seven wild camels in the Kumtag Desert from May 2012 to July 2013. This tracking data was then used to infer the daily activity rhythm of the wild camels. A Brownian bridge model was also applied to further investigate the native range of wild camels. Results:The results of this study suggest that: (1) Daily activity rhythm data for these wild camels indicate a clear bimodal pattern, with peak activity periods occurring in the morning from 6:00 to 9:00 and in the afternoon from 15:00 to 20:00. This finding is consistent with the wild camels being a crepuscular species. (2) The double peak time of the wild camel's crepuscular activity is close to noon, occurring during the transition between the warm season and the cold season. The order of interval times between peaks compared seasonally is: summer > spring > autumn > winter. (3) There are obvious seasonal differences in the daily activity intensity of wild camels. The relationships between daily •研究报告• © 生 物 多 样 性 B i o d i v e r s i t y S c i e n c e 吴运佳等: 库木塔格沙漠地区野骆驼活动节律与家域特征 1207 https://www.biodiversity-science.net 研究报告activity intensity between seasons is: summer > autumn > spring and winter, where no clear difference was observed between spring and winter. (4) Wild camels belong to the core home range utilization type, often utilizing multiple core home ranges. The home ranges of the wild camels in this study exhibit a distribution between the north and south sides of the desert, suggesting that this species can move across the desert. (5) There are significant differences in home ranges among individuals, along with slight differences between sexes. Large variation in the home ranges of wild camels are observed seasonally, with the relative ordering from largest to smallest being: summer (1,256.27 ± 427.45 km 2 ) > spring (556.90 ± 259.35 km 2 ) > autumn (396.77 ± 82.31 km 2 ) > winter (250.83 ± 99.64 km 2 ).