Molecular phylogeny of the Western PalaearcticCordulegastertaxa (Odonata: Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae)

Abstract

Although Odonata are a key component of many freshwater ecosystems, their taxonomy and evolutionary history is still far from being well resolved. In the present study, we report the first molecular phylogeny for the Western Palaearctic Cordulegaster genus (Odonata: Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae). We sequenced fragments of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes [cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and Internal Transcribed Spacer-1 (ITS-1)] from eight species and 13 subspecies, from western, southern and central Europe, Turkey, and Morocco. Our data support the existence of two major groups corresponding to the traditional boltonii-and bidentata-groups. Both groups are monophyletic based on COI sequences and the distinctiveness of Cordulegaster princeps, Cordulegaster trinacriae, Cordulegaster picta and Cordulegaster heros relative to Cordulegaster boltonii, and Cordulegaster helladica and Cordulegaster insignis relative to Cordulegaster bidentata, is confirmed. All species are also monophyletic for ITS-1, with the exception of Cordulegaster helladica buchholzi, which shares the haplotype with C. insignis. Although moderate levels of genetic diversity were found within C. boltonii, there was no clear separation among the four subspecies, with the exception of the populations of Cordulegaster boltonii algirica from North Africa. Similarly, no genetic differentiation was found between the two subspecies of C. bidentata, Cordulegaster bidentata bidentata and Cordulegaster bidenta sicilica.

Colour lightness of dragonfly assemblages across North America and Europe

“…Unfortunately, knowledge of the phylogeography of dragonflies is still poor. However, a recent study of the dragonfly genus Cordulegaster in Europe found an array of unique evolutionary histories that can be interpreted as a diversification of this group in a refuge in eastern Europe (Froufe et al ). Similar to species of the genus Cordulegaster , which breed today almost exclusively in small streams and permanent springs at higher elevations (Dijkstra and Lewington ), some species could have survived a glacial maximum in the Balkan region, and then when isolated could have experienced an enhanced selection pressure towards thermal melanism.…”

Taxonomic Revision of Eastern Part of Western Palaearctic Cordulegaster Using Molecular Phylogeny and Morphology, with the Description of Two New Species (Odonata: Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae)

“…In the molecular genetic analysis sequences from 72 specimens from Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus countries, Iran and Kyrgyzstan were included. From these 72 specimens, 59 specimens and 107 genetic data are new; genetic data from 13 specimens (C. heros, C. picta, and C. insignis) were already published [13]. New and published sequences of Cordulegaster from the Western part of the Western Palaearctic and American Cordulegaster were used for the COI overview tree (Figure S2).…”

“…Our molecular analysis included Genbank sequences of New World and Asian species (Figure S2). Already published sequences of Western Palaearctic Cordulegaster are included [13,35,43]. From Central Turkey and east of this region, no sequences of Cordulegaster from the Western Palaearctic have been published so far.…”

Diversity and conservation of European dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)

“…3). The small number of molecular studies available (Sadeghi et al, 2010;Froufe et al, 2013;Guan et al, 2013;Ferreira et al, 2015;De Knijf et al, 2016;Schneider et al, 2016) also conform with these patterns, but as none of the studies provide detailed timescale information, it is not certain whether patterns evolved due to isolation induced by glacial periods, or are the result of parapatric speciations induced by, for instance, different climatic conditions at both ends of a species' range.…”