Molecular Cross-Validation of Intraspecific Structure of Rutpela maculata (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15330/jpnubio.12.46-59Keywords:
the longhorn beetles, molecular phylogeny, molecular phylogeography, taxonomy, systematics, fauna, PCR, DNA barcoding, West PalearcticAbstract
Rutpela (Rutpela) maculata (Poda, 1761) is one of the most abundant and widespread lepturine beetles in Europe, ranging from the Atlantic coast to the southern Ural Mountains. The intraspecific taxonomy of R. maculata has been debated for decades, with no consensus on subdivision based on morphological traits. Here, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the species’ intraspecific structure using newly generated DNA barcodes from Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Ukraine, combined with sequences from public databases (GenBank, BOLD Systems, CaBOL). Our results reveal three distinct haplogroups (weRM, ceRM, esRM) within the species’ range, each clearly associated with morphological patterns, particularly limb melanization in males. The melanistic forms corresponding to the weRM haplogroup in southwestern Europe and the esRM haplogroup in the Caucasus-Anatolian region arose independently from different ancestors, whereas the ceRM haplogroup is broadly distributed across Europe, from Finland and Norway to Italy and Greece and Turkey. Two haplogroups correspond to previously recognized subspecies, R. m. maculata (ceRM) and R. m. manca (weRM). The third haplogroup, esRM, previously considered part of R. m. manca, represents a separate evolutionary lineage, related to ceRM, and is here formally recognized as a new subspecies, Rutpela maculata orientalis ssp. nov. Genetic distances, COI sequence divergences, morphological differentiation, and geographic separation collectively support this taxonomic revision. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of molecular phylogenetic approaches in resolving the long-standing issues of intraspecific classification and geographic delineation of R. maculata subtaxa.
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