Past and present distribution of the cryptic species Leptidea sinapis and L. reali (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Poland and its implications for the conservation of these butterflies

Sachanowicz, Konrad; Wower, Agnieszka; Buszko, J.

doi:10.14411/eje.2011.032

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Our results confirm that L. reali does not occur outside the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and Italy, and previous results on the ecology of Leptidea performed on populations outside these areas can thus now be attributed to the pair L. sinapis and L. juvernica (e.g. Freese & Fiedler, ; Beneš et al ., ; Friberg & Wiklund, , , ; Friberg et al ., ,b,c, ; Nelson et al ., ; Sachanowicz et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Reproductive isolation and patterns of genetic differentiation in a cryptic butterfly species complex

Dincă

Wiklund

Lukhtanov

et al. 2013

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Molecular studies of natural populations are often designed to detect and categorize hidden layers of cryptic diversity, and an emerging pattern suggests that cryptic species are more common and more widely distributed than previously thought. However, these studies are often decoupled from ecological and behavioural studies of species divergence. Thus, the mechanisms by which the cryptic diversity is distributed and maintained across large spatial scales are often unknown. In 1988, it was discovered that the common Eurasian Wood White butterfly consisted of two species (Leptidea sinapis and Leptidea reali), and the pair became an emerging model for the study of speciation and chromosomal evolution. In 2011, the existence of a third cryptic species (Leptidea juvernica) was proposed. This unexpected discovery raises questions about the mechanisms preventing gene flow and about the potential existence of additional species hidden in the complex. Here, we compare patterns of genetic divergence across western Eurasia in an extensive data set of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences with behavioural data on inter- and intraspecific reproductive isolation in courtship experiments. We show that three species exist in accordance with both the phylogenetic and biological species concepts and that additional hidden diversity is unlikely to occur in Europe. The Leptidea species are now the best studied cryptic complex of butterflies in Europe and a promising model system for understanding the formation of cryptic species and the roles of local processes, colonization patterns and heterospecific interactions for ecological and evolutionary divergence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Reproductive isolation and patterns of genetic differentiation in a cryptic butterfly species complex

Dincă

Wiklund

Lukhtanov

et al. 2013

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…Thus, environmental and ecological factors such as climatic differences, habitat and host-plant specialisation are likely to play a leading role, as suggested also by Tzvetkov (2007). One documented effect related to the scaling of genitalia is the size difference between different generations that has been observed in both species (Schmitz, 2007;Sachanowicz, 2011). It appears, however, that the size variation between generations is much smaller than the observed regional variation: e.g., the VW differences reported by Sachanowicz (2011) were 0.03 mm in L. sinapis and 0.01 mm in L. juvernica, whereas the maximum regional differences in Fig.…”

Section: Morphological Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The same species can be a habitat generalist in some regions and a habitat specialist in others, where the sympatric sibling species may be a habitat generalist (Friberg et al, 2013). For example, in Sweden L. juvernica is a habitat specialist while L. sinapis is a generalist (Friberg et al, 2008); in Poland both species are widespread generalists (Sachanowicz et al, 2011); in the Czech Republic L. sinapis is the habitat specialist (Beneš et al, 2003); and in Slovenia both species are widespread with partial habitat segregation observed near the Adriatic Sea where L. juvernica is confined to humid habitats (Verovnik et al, 2012). Documenting this geographical variation can provide essential information for understanding the causes of niche specialization and their relation to the microevolutionary processes that eventually produce sibling species (Dincă et al, 2011;Friberg et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sibling species Leptidea juvernica and L. sinapis (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) in the Balkan Peninsula: ecology, genetic structure, and morphological variation

Shtinkov

Kolev

Vila

et al. 2016

Zoology

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The wood white butterfly Leptidea sinapis and its more recently discovered sibling species L. reali and L. juvernica have emerged as a model system for studying the speciation and evolution of cryptic species, as well as their ecological interactions in conditions of sympatry. Leptidea sinapis is widely distributed from Western Europe to Central Asia while the synmorphic L. juvernica and L. reali have allopatric distributions, both occurring in sympatry with L. sinapis and exhibiting an intricate, regionally variable ecological niche separation. Until now, the Balkan Peninsula remained one of the major unknowns in terms of distribution, genetic structure, and ecological preferences of the Leptidea triplet in Europe. We present new molecular and morphological data from a detailed survey of the region. Our DNA analysis suggests that the Balkan populations belong only to L. sinapis and L. juvernica, and that they are not genetically differentiated from other mainland populations. The distribution data reveal that L. sinapis is a widespread habitat generalist, while L. juvernica exhibits a transition from a habitat generalist in the western Balkans to a localised habitat specialist, confined to humid mountain habitats, in the east. The morphometric analysis of male genitalia and a comparison to data from other parts of the species' ranges suggest an interesting mosaic of regional morphological variation that is likely linked to environmental and ecological factors. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the genitalia scaling relations for analysing the morphological variation and discuss the implications for species identification.

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“…In the Czech Republic, L. sinapis specialises in xerothermic habitats, whereas L. juvernica is a generalist, found in most habitat types (Beneš et al 2003). Similarly, in Poland, L. juvernica is a generalist, showing no preference for specific humidity levels, whereas L. sinapis has a more constrained distribution and is associated with woodland and xerothermic habitats (Sachanowicz et al 2011). In contrast, in Sweden, L. juvernica is restricted to rare, fragmented open meadow habitats, whilst L. sinapis is considered a generalist, found over a broad range of habitats, including forest (Friberg et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographics and spatial ecology in a population of cryptic wood white butterfly Leptidea juvernica in Northern Ireland

O'Neill

Montgomery

2018

J Insect Conserv

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The cryptic wood white Leptidea juvernica is one of a newly-discovered species complex comprising three morphologically similar species in Europe. In the British Isles, L. juvernica is absent from Great Britain, but is widespread in Ireland, where it has experienced recent declines; it is classed as a priority species in Northern Ireland. Using a mark-recapture approach, this study aims to elucidate the population and spatial ecology of L. juvernica based on a population resident on a small, suburban site and to propose conservation measures. The results demonstrated that populations of L. juvernica, even on small sites, can reach high numbers during the peak flight season. Unusually for European Pieridae, there was only weak evidence of protandry in this population, possibly reflecting weather conditions prior to the flight season. The spatial distribution and abundance of L. juvernica was associated with the distribution of its larval host-plants, as well as maintaining close proximity to south-facing habitat edges for shelter. Males had a closer association to sheltered habitat edges, whilst females were found more commonly on open ground with a shorter sward which was the preferred egg-laying habitat. Long vegetation in sheltered areas was important for roosting during periods of non-activity. These results inform conservation measures which will benefit L. juvernica; appropriate measures focus on habitat management providing a mosaic of open, semi-natural grassland interspersed with tall vegetation, scrub, and trees.

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Past and present distribution of the cryptic species Leptidea sinapis and L. reali (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Poland and its implications for the conservation of these butterflies

Cited by 5 publications

References 11 publications

Reproductive isolation and patterns of genetic differentiation in a cryptic butterfly species complex

Reproductive isolation and patterns of genetic differentiation in a cryptic butterfly species complex

The sibling species Leptidea juvernica and L. sinapis (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) in the Balkan Peninsula: ecology, genetic structure, and morphological variation

Demographics and spatial ecology in a population of cryptic wood white butterfly Leptidea juvernica in Northern Ireland

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