Microscale vicariance and diversification of Western Balkan caddisflies linked to karstification

Abstract

The karst areas in the Dinaric region of the Western Balkan Peninsula are a hotspot of freshwater biodiversity. Many investigators have examined diversification of the subterranean freshwater fauna in these karst systems. However, diversification of surface-water fauna remains largely unexplored. We assessed local and regional diversification of surface-water species in karst systems and asked whether patterns of population differentiation could be explained by dispersaldiversification processes or allopatric diversification following karst-related microscale vicariance. We analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequence data of 4 caddisfly species (genus Drusus) in a phylogeographic framework to assess local and regional population genetic structure and Pliocene/Pleistocene history. We used BEAST software to assess the timing of intraspecific diversification of the target species. We compared climate envelopes of the study species and projected climatically suitable areas during the last glacial maximum (LGM) to assess differences in the species climatic niches and infer potential LGM refugia. The haplotype distribution of the 4 species (324 individuals from 32 populations) was characterized by strong genetic differentiation with few haplotypes shared among populations (16%) and deep divergence 6 ana.previsic@biol.pmf.hr 7 jan.schnitzler@senckenberg.de 8 mladen.kucinic@biol.pmf.hr 9 wolfram.graf@boku.ac.at 10 halilibrahimi@yahoo.com 11 mladen.kerovec@biol.pmf.hr 12 steffen.pauls@senckenberg.de AP and SUP designed the research; AP, MK, MK, WG, and HI contributed new reagents/analytic tools; AP, JS, and SUP performed the research, analyzed the data, and wrote the paper. All authors edited the drafts and approved the final version of the manuscript. Europe PMC Funders Group Europe PMC Funders Author ManuscriptsEurope PMC Funders Author Manuscripts among populations of the 3 endemic species, even at local scales. Divergence among local populations of endemics often exceeded divergence among regional and continental clades of the widespread D. discolor. Major divergences among regional populations dated to 2.0 to 0.5 Mya.Species distribution model projections and genetic structure suggest that the endemic species persisted in situ and diversified locally throughout multiple Pleistocene climate cycles. The pattern for D. discolor was different and consistent with multiple invasions into the region. Patterns of population genetic structure and diversification were similar for the 3 regional endemic Drusus species and consistent with microscale vicariance after the onset of intensified karstification in the Dinaric region. Karstification may induce microscale vicariance of running surface-water habitats and probably promotes allopatric fragmentation of stream insects at small spatial scales. et al. , Milá et al. 2007). Differentiation of species and populations on small scales also are often associated with limited dispersal (e.g., Brändle et al. 2007, Johannesen et al. 2010, and smal...

First systematic investigation of adults and second checklist of caddisflies of the Plitvice Lakes National Park with notes on research history, biodiversity, distribution and ecology

“…This species was later found in more than 20 localities across Croatia and has been analysed in phylogenetic, phylogeographic and taxonomic studies (Kučinić et al, 2008;Previšić et al, 2009Previšić et al, , 2014. Some aspects of this species' life cycle with description of its last larval stage were analysed at the Plitvice Lakes (Kučinić, 2002;Kučinić et al, 2008).…”

“…Many of these species were found in Croatia for the first time and a significant number of them was later found in other parts of Croatia (e.g. Graf et al, 2008a;Waringer et al, 2009;Kučinić et al, 2011;Cerjanec, 2012;Previšić et al, 2012Previšić et al, , 2014 Tab. 2.…”

“…For example, family Odontoceridae with one species in the Plitvice Lakes NP, O. albicorne Scopoli has ecological adaptations to streams and rivers (Tabs 1-3, 5). While D. croaticus Marinković-Gospodnetić and all species from subfamily Drusinae (family Limnephilidae) have adaptations to springs and the crenal parts of mountain streams (Kučinić et al, 2008(Kučinić et al, , 2016Previšić et al, 2014;Vitecek et al, 2015Vitecek et al, , 2017Waringer et al, 2015). Additionally, species from the family Glossostomatidae were restricted to the same aquatic habitats (crenal part of streams) while, for instance, Tinodes unicolor Pictet is a specialist at tufa barriers (Edington & Hildrew, 1995).…”

Environmental drivers influencing stonefly assemblages along a longitudinal gradient in karst lotic habitats

“…This complex karst landscape is formed from hydrological and geological characteristics working on water soluble rock over long time periods. Specific geology and hydrology of these habitats, including vast array of available microhabitats, resulted in high level of speciation and endemism, which is why karst habitats were recognized as biodiversity hotspots (Bonacci, 2009;Ivković and Plant, 2015;Previšić et al, 2014). Nevertheless, ecology of their biota, including stoneflies, is still highly understudied (Previšić et al, 2007;Ivković et al, 2012Ivković et al, , 2014Šemnički et al, 2012;Čmrlec et al, 2013;Vilenica et al, 2017a).…”

Environmental factors affecting mayfly assemblages in tufa-depositing habitats of the Dinaric Karst

“…The karstification process has resulted in a mosaic of climatic and environmental conditions with diverse physiographic traits. Geographical isolation, local influences of climate and altitude and high habitat heterogeneity may have favoured the maintenance of a high level of speciation, and a high number of discontinuous populations of phylogenetically distinct origin (Bonacci et al, 2008;Previšić et al, 2009Previšić et al, , 2014Ivković and Plant, 2015). The Dinaric Mountains are the largest continuous karst landscape in Europe (Mihevc et al, 2010), extending over approximately 60,000 km 2 , with an extremely complicated hydrological network (Bonacci and Jelin, 1988;Bonacci et al, 2013).…”