Genetic diversity of the xerothermic weevils Polydrusus inustus and Centricnemus leucogrammus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in central Europe

Abstract

Abstract. Phylogeography, genetic diversity, and demography of central European populations of two flightless xerothermic weevils, Polydrusus inustus and Centricnemus leucogrammus, were studied based on the polymorphism of three mtDNA genes (COII, CytB, and ND1). Results indicate that these xerothermic beetles may have different origins. P. inustus is a recent migrant as the parthenogenetic form has a low level of genetic diversity and lacks a geographic population structure. This is probably a result of a recent (before the end of last glaciation) expansion and/or present dispersal mediated by humans. On the other hand, C. leucogrammus appears to be a relic species as the populations of this species are much more genetically diverse (six distinct clades) and some of the populations are allopatric and others sympatric. They probably diverged and expanded during the last few glaciations. Genetic discontinuities were detected among localities that are now separated by gaps in the distribution. Boundaries (mountains or farmland) separate the populations into three groups: (1) Moravia and Slovakia, (2) the lower Vistula Valley in northern Poland and (3) south-eastern Poland together with western Ukraine. Evidence for recent gene flow was found only among populations from south-eastern Poland and western Ukraine, and between these two groups. One population from northern Poland was surprisingly related to populations in southern Poland, which may be due to extinction of intermediate populations.

Selective sweep of Wolbachia and parthenogenetic host genomes – the example of the weevil Eusomus ovulum

“…This expansion dating suggests that this species spread between 61 000 and 11 000 years ago, ie during the Weichselian/Vistulian glaciation period, when steppic habitats were most widespread across central and eastern Europe (except the most northern regions, which were covered by ice sheets). It is interesting that this dating of E. ovulum 's expansion is the same as for another parthenogenetic weevil, P. inustus (55 000–12 000 years ago; Kajtoch et al ., ). This suggests a general pattern of expansion of parthenogenesis during the last period of the Pleistocene glaciations.…”

Genetic distinctness of parthenogenetic forms of European Polydrusus weevils of the subgenus Scythodrusus

“…Amplification of fragments of the mitochondrial COII, nuclear ITS2 (with a short 24 bp fragment of the 28S rDNA gene) and nuclear EF1‐α (with short ∼50 bp intron in the 3′ end), were performed using primer pairs TL2‐J‐3038/TK‐N‐3782 (Simon et al , 1994), ITS3/ITS4 (White et al , 1990) and ef1F/ef1R (Hughes & Vogler, 2004), respectively. The concentration of the reactives used for the amplifications and the cycling profiles for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of COII, ITS2 and EF1‐α markers were as in Kajtoch et al . (2009) and Kajtoch (2011).…”

“…The karyotype of parthenogenetic P. (S.) pilifer is unknown. Recent studies on the genetic diversity of Central European populations of P. (S.) inustus (Kajtoch et al , 2009; Kajtoch & Lachowska‐Cierlik, 2009) showed that most females are heterozygotic (at least in the studied fragment of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) – Internal Transcribed Spacer 2, ITS2). It is possible that this parthenogenetic form arose via hybridization between phylogenetically distinct lineages of dioecious P. (S.) inustus or between this species and a close relative from the subgenus Scythodrusus (Kajtoch & Lachowska‐Cierlik, 2009).…”

Phylogeographic patterns of steppe species in Eastern Central Europe: a review and the implications for conservation

“…A few dating efforts of divergence and expansion times suggest that these northern populations could have indeed originated 380,000-150,000 years ago (Centricnemus leucogrammus) or 147,000-85,000 years ago (Cricetus cricetus) and expanded 280,000-110,000 years ago (C. leucogrammus) or 115,000-10,000 years ago (C. cricetus) (Neumann et al 2005;Kajtoch et al 2009). Spans of these dating suggest that these events took place during Oder and Warta/Riss glaciations (for C. leucogrammus) or Vistulian/Würm glaciation (for C. cricetus).…”