East Meets West in the Western Carpathians: Contact Zone Between Alpine and Carpathian Caddisfly Lineages Evidenced by COI Barcodes

Abstract

European mountains are important areas regarding biodiversity of the continent, and they also harbour diverse freshwater fauna, which is critically endangered in terms of the current species extinction. However, sufficient knowledge of this valuable part of European biota is no longer possible without molecular data. This study focuses on the genetic diversity and distribution patterns of the classical representative of the mountain freshwater fauna, caddisfly Rhyacophila tristis, in the Western Carpathians. Based on the COI mitochondrial marker, two genetic lineages (separate BINs) were identified. BIN_W was found in 16 localities in the western part of the study area, BIN_E in 44 eastern localities. The data obtained indicate that BIN_W occurs in a significantly narrower altitude range, BIN_E is more closely related to the Balkan populations than to co-occurring BIN_W, and that the contact zone of the lineages passes through the Western Carpathians. The study revealed phylogeographic and demographic differences between lineages, supporting hypothesis of their evolutionary independence and specific ecological preferences. The obtained genetic data shifted our knowledge on the populations of the studied caddisfly and suggested patterns that could be common to other freshwater species. This could help us to protect unique freshwater ecosystems and preserve European biodiversity.

A Phylogeographical Analysis of the Beetle Pest Species Callosobruchus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1758) in China

“…It has been demonstrated that Quaternary climate change has had a huge influence on many species' distributions and population structures [4,15]. Our analyses (i.e., mismatch distributions, Tajima's D, Fu's Fs, network of haplotypes, BEAST analysis and BSP) all indicated a recent expansion, and also showed that the divergence time of C. chinensis populations mainly occurred in Quaternary glaciations.…”

“…For example, the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America caused genetic differentiation among populations of some taxa [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Geographic isolation has resulted in strong genetic differences between populations such as the caddisfly, in western and Eastern Europe [15]. China has a vast territory, a wide span of latitudes, and provides a wide diversity of climates.…”