Delimiting species boundaries and the conservation genetics of the endangered maritime ringlet butterfly (Coenonympha nipisiquitMcDunnough)

Abstract

Species delimitation is a difficult problem that has implications across organismal biology, yet no single method has proved wholly satisfactory. We tested the utility of combining species-delimitation methods based on phylogeny and gene flow statistics using two parapatric members of the Coenonympha tullia group as an example: the endangered maritime ringlet butterfly (Coenonympha nipisiquit McDunnough) and the common inornate ringlet butterfly (Coenonympha inornata Edwards). We reconstructed the phylogeny of the nearctic C. tullia-group taxa from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences (cytochrome oxidase I and mitochondrial control region) to explore the ancestry of the C. nipisiquit lineage within the group. We investigated the extent of gene flow between the two taxa with F-statistics using 587 nuclear amplified fragment length polymorphism markers, accounting for the effect of potential scoring 'collisions' where a marker may represent more than one DNA fragment. Combining species-delimitation methods was especially effective because it uncovered both historical and recent evolutionary patterns. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA revealed the early divergence of C. nipisiquit from other C. tullia-group taxa, including the morphologically similar C. inornata. F-statistics and gene-by-gene introgression profiles demonstrated clear isolation between the two taxa and revealed strong population structure within C. nipisiquit. C. nipisiquit is the first taxon in the nearctic C. tullia group showing strong evidence of genetic isolation. The methods we used are relatively inexpensive and can be widely used to delimit taxonomic boundaries near the species level, both generally and in particular for taxa that may be targets of conservation efforts.

An Earthworm Riddle: Systematics and Phylogeography of the Spanish Lumbricid Postandrilus

“…Several methods for empirically testing species boundaries have been proposed and compared [50], [51], [52], [53], [54]. Here we used an integrative approach of species delimitation that takes into account multiple lines of evidence by combining phylogenetic relatedness with other factors like shared morphological and ecological evidence.…”

Lepidoptera of Canada

“…Butterflies are the best-known insect group taxonomically, and the few recent discoveries involve previously overlooked cryptic species (e.g., Verhulst 2009, Warren et al 2016). Most faunal additions result from better resolution of species-groups that have traditionally been difficult to delineate, such as Coenonymphanipisiquit McDunnough (Sei and Porter 2007). In contrast, a moderate number of new species of macromoths continue to be discovered.…”

A combined analysis of morphological traits, chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences within Santiria trimera (Burseraceae) suggests several species following the Biological Species Concept

“…Or (3) what is the necessary degree of divergence to delineate species when adult trees are clearly morphologically different? To answer these questions, Dayrat (2005) and Sei & Porter (2007) proposed the combination of various methods, including phylogeography, comparative morphology and population genetics. Some methods based on the phylogeny of chloroplast or nuclear DNA have allowed to clarify taxonomy within complexes of plant species (Murakami et al 1998) or genera (Weeks et al 2005, Miikeda et al 2006.…”