PASSIFOR: A reference library of DNA barcodes for French saproxylic beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera)

Abstract

Saproxylic beetles – associated with dead wood or with other insects, fungi and microorganisms that decompose it – play a major role in forest nutrient cycling. They are important ecosystem service providers and are used as key bio-indicators of old-growth forests. In France alone, where the present study took place, there are about 2500 species distributed within 71 families. This high diversity represents a major challenge for specimen sorting and identification.The PASSIFOR project aims at developing a DNA metabarcoding approach to facilitate and enhance the monitoring of saproxylic beetles as indicators in ecological studies. As a first step toward that goal we assembled a library of DNA barcodes using the standard genetic marker for animals, i.e. a portion of the COI mitochondrial gene. In the present contribution, we release a library including 656 records representing 410 species in 40 different families. Species were identified by expert taxonomists, and each record is linked to a voucher specimen to enable future morphological examination. We also highlight and briefly discuss cases of low interspecific divergences, as well as cases of high intraspecific divergences that might represent cases of overlooked or cryptic diversity.

DNA barcodes for bio-surveillance: regulated and economically important arthropod plant pests

“…DNA barcoding has a strong track record in delivering species-level identifications for the five insect orders with the most pest species-Coleoptera (Woodcock et al 2013;Rougerie et al 2015), Diptera (Nagy et al 2013;Smit et al 2013), Hemiptera (Park et al 2011b;Raupach et al 2014), Lepidoptera (Janzen et al 2005;Ashfaq et al 2013), and Thysanoptera (Rebijith et al 2014;Iftikhar et al 2016). For example, 92.2% of 3514 species of European beetles were assigned to a distinct BIN that coincided with a known morphological species, while most of the other species were assigned to two or three BINs, suggesting they represent cryptic species complexes (Hendrich et al 2015).…”

DNA barcodes reveal 63 overlooked species of Canadian beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera)

“…The beetle fauna of North and Central Europe has recently been DNA barcoded extensively (Pentinsaari et al 2014;Hendrich et al 2015;Rougerie et al 2015). These barcode reference libraries provide an efficient tool for the detection of adventive European beetle species in other parts of the world, particularly for those taxonomic groups where the native fauna is poorly known.…”

Taxonomic Position of Anastrangalia reyi and A. sequensi (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) Based on Molecular and Morphological Data

“…During the last decade due to intensive barcoding of European Coleoptera it was revealed that A. reyi does not diff er from A. dubia by the molecular signs of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) (Rougerie et al, 2015;Hendrich et al, 2015;Wu et al, 2016). Moreover, Hendrich et al (2015) noted that all sequenced specimens of both species were not grouped in separated clades on their phylogenetic trees; instead, they are completely mixed.…”

“…Moreover, Hendrich et al (2015) noted that all sequenced specimens of both species were not grouped in separated clades on their phylogenetic trees; instead, they are completely mixed. Rougerie et al (2015) assumed possibility of the past or current hybridization between A. reyi and A. dubia. Th ey also supposed continuing speciation with low divergence of both species.…”